Our approach to interventional radiology

Dealing with a serious health condition, like cancer or kidney disease, can be extremely overwhelming . At WellSpan Interventional Radiology, we’re here to support you with compassionate, high-quality care, from evaluation and diagnosis to treatment and recovery.

Our interventional radiologists use advanced imaging techniques like X-rays, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI and ultrasound to precisely locate medical issues and guide procedures. By combining these high-tech imaging tools with minimally invasive procedures, such as the nationally renowned TULSA-PRO, we can treat a wide range of complex medical conditions with minimal risk, smaller incisions, less scarring, less pain and shorter recovery times as compared to traditional open surgery. This approach can reduce hospital stays and minimize potential complications.

Conditions our interventional radiologists treat

Some common conditions treated by WellSpan Interventional Radiology include:

• Vascular Conditions: We treat blocked or narrowed blood vessels, aneurysms and deep vein thrombosis with procedures such as angioplasty, stent placement and thrombolysis, which dissolves blood clots.
• Cancer: Interventional radiologists can perform targeted treatments like embolization, which blocks blood flow to tumors, and radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat to destroy cancer cells.
• Bleeding Disorders: We manage internal bleeding by using embolization to block blood flow to the affected area or by placing stents to control bleeding.
• Pain Management: Procedures like nerve blocks and vertebroplasty (injecting bone cement into fractured vertebrae) can help alleviate chronic pain and spine fractures from osteoporosis.
• Infections: We can drain abscesses and other infected areas using image-guided techniques.
• Obstructions: Blockages in the bile ducts, urinary tract or other internal passages can be treated with stents or drainage catheters.
• Varicose Veins: Minimally invasive procedures like sclerotherapy and endovenous laser therapy can help manage varicose veins.
• Uterine Fibroids: Uterine fibroid embolization is a procedure that reduces the size of fibroids by cutting off their blood supply.

Tests and treatments

Precision treatment, personalized care

Advanced imaging technology and specialized techniques allow us to perform minimally invasive procedures without the need for traditional open surgery. Many of these procedures are outpatient, enabling you to recover comfortably at home rather than staying overnight in the hospital. These minimally invasive procedures include:

Cancer

• Prostate Biopsy: A test where a small piece of tissue is taken from the prostate to check for cancer.
• Soft tissue and Bone biopsy: Performing biopsies on all areas of the body including thyroid, lung, lymph node, muscle and deeper tissues in the abdomen and pelvis.
• Chemoembolization: A way to give chemotherapy directly to a tumor to make it smaller.
• Cryoablation: Using very cold temperatures to freeze and destroy cancer cells.
• Y-90/Therasphere/SIR sphere Radioembolization for Liver Tumors: Sending tiny radioactive beads to the liver to kill cancer cells. A type of treatment that uses radioactive material to fight cancer, often in the liver.
• Radiofrequency Ablation: Using heat from radio waves to destroy cancer cells.
• TULSA-Pro: A special treatment for prostate cancer that uses high frequency ultrasound to destroy cancer cells.

Vascular (Arterial and Venous intervention)

• Angiogram: A test using X-rays and contrast dye to visualize blood vessels and identify blockages or abnormalities.
• Angioplasty: A procedure to widen narrowed or blocked arteries by inflating a small balloon and often placing a stent to keep the artery open.
• Arteriogram: A diagnostic test like an angiogram, specifically for arteries, to detect issues like blockages and aneurysms.
• Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) management: A procedure to remove clots from an AVF, a surgical connection between an artery and a vein, to maintain its functionality for dialysis.
• Embolization: A minimally invasive procedure to block blood flow to a specific area, used to treat conditions like renal angiomyolipoma (AML), uterine fibroids, and abnormal blood vessels.
• Fistula Creation: A surgical procedure to create a connection between an artery and a vein, typically for dialysis patients, to facilitate easier and more efficient blood access.
• IVC Filter Placement and Removal: A procedure to insert or remove a small device in the inferior vena cava to trap blood clots and prevent them from reaching the lungs.
• Thrombectomies: A procedure to remove blood clots from blood vessels, often used to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism.
• Varicose or Incompetent Vein Ablations: A minimally invasive procedure using heat to close varicose veins and redirect blood flow to healthier veins.
• Venaseal: A non-thermal procedure using a medical adhesive to seal varicose veins, reducing symptoms and improving appearance.
• Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts (TIPS): A procedure to create a small tunnel within the liver to reduce portal vein pressure, often used to manage complications of liver disease.

Women’s Health

• Uterine Fibroid Ablations: A minimally invasive procedure using heat or cold to destroy uterine fibroids, reducing symptoms like heavy bleeding and pain.
• Embolization for Uterine Fibroids: A procedure to block blood flow to uterine fibroids by injecting small particles into the arteries supplying them, causing the fibroids to shrink and alleviate symptoms.
• Cyst Ablation (Ovarian-Related): A minimally invasive procedure using heat or laser to remove or destroy ovarian cysts, reducing pain and other symptoms associated with cysts.

Men's Health

• Biopsy (MRI-Guided) for Prostate: A procedure using MRI guidance to precisely sample prostate tissue for diagnosis, helping to detect prostate cancer or other conditions.
• TULSA-PRO: A minimally invasive procedure using ultrasound to deliver targeted heat to the prostate, treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and reducing symptoms like urinary issues.
• Prostate artery embolization: Used for control of symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Pain Management

• Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty: A minimally invasive procedure to treat vertebral compression fractures by inflating a balloon in the vertebra to restore height and then injecting bone cement to stabilize it.
• Cryoablation (for Pain from Tumors or Nerves): A procedure using extreme cold to freeze and destroy painful tumors or nerves, providing relief from chronic pain.
• Radiofrequency Ablation (for Nerve Pain): A procedure using heat generated by radio waves to target and destroy nerve tissue causing chronic pain, providing long-term pain relief.

General Procedures

• Abscess Drains: A procedure to insert a drainage tube into an abscess to remove infected fluid, helping to reduce pain and prevent further infection.
• Dialysis Catheter Placement and Removal: A procedure to insert a catheter into a large vein for dialysis, and to remove it when no longer needed, ensuring efficient blood filtration for kidney patients.
• Nephrostomy Tube Placement and Removal: A procedure to insert a tube directly into the kidney to drain urine, and to remove it when no longer necessary, often used to treat blockages.
• Paracentesis: A procedure to remove excess fluid from the abdomen, typically used to relieve symptoms of ascites or to diagnose abdominal conditions.
• Thoracentesis: A procedure to remove fluid or air from the space around the lungs, helping to improve breathing and diagnose chest conditions.
• Tube and Line Placements: Procedures to insert various tubes or lines, such as PICC lines for long-term IV access or G/J tubes for feeding, and to remove them when no longer needed.
• Portal Vein Interventions: Procedures to treat conditions affecting the portal vein, such as placing stents to improve blood flow or embolization to block blood flow to tumors.
• Sclerotherapy (for Varicose Veins or Vascular Malformations): A procedure to inject a solution into varicose veins or vascular malformations, causing them to collapse and be reabsorbed by the body, reducing their appearance and associated symptoms.