Interventional Radiology
Minimally invasive, image-guided procedures
Interventional radiology helps diagnose and treat conditions using minimally invasive, image-guided procedures.
For you, that means:
- Very small incisions
- Less trauma to your body
- Less bleeding and pain
- Less risk of infection
- Faster recovery
Our experts in minimally invasive procedures diagnose and treat many conditions. Some of these procedures involve making very small incisions in your upper leg. Your doctor then threads thin hollow tube (catheter) to the area of your body to be treated—your heart, liver, spine or abdomen. Doctors insert special instruments through the catheter to perform the intervention.
Your doctors can then use previously obtained images of you, MRI, X-rays or ultrasound to guide them during the procedure.
Our Interventional Radiology Services
Our services range from laser treatment of varicose veins to life-threatening deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Procedures include:
- Abscess drainage — Your doctor will insert a catheter (thin tube) into an abscess (pus-filled mass) to drain the infection.
- Paracentesis — Your doctor will use a needle to drain excess fluid from your abdomen.
- Thoracentesis — Your doctor will guide a small tube through your chest wall to drain fluid from the space between your lungs (called the pleural space).
- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) — Your doctor will guide a small tube into your liver, connecting inflow and outflow veins to improve your blood flow. This lifesaving procedure helps prevent hemorrhage (heavy bleeding) from severe liver dysfunction.
- Bile duct obstruction — Your doctor will place a stent or catheter to open up your blocked bile ducts. This allows bile to drain from your liver.
- Biopsies — Your doctor will take a sample of your tissue to identify the cause of a lump, mass or other problem.
- Gastrostomy tubes — If you are unable to take food or oral medication by mouth, your doctor may need to place a gastrostomy tube in your stomach. You can then be fed through the tube.
- Joint injections — Your doctor will inject medication into your joint to relieve pain from arthritis.
- Venous access/PICC lines — Your doctor will insert a small tube called a central venous access catheter (CVAC) into your vein. The catheter provides a simple, pain-free way for you to have blood draws and receive medication, nutrients and contrast dye for imaging.
Our Approach to Interventional Radiology
Our experts in minimally invasive procedures diagnose and treat many conditions. Some of these procedures involve making very small incisions in your upper leg. Your doctor then threads thin hollow tube (catheter) to the area of your body to be treated—your heart, liver, spine or abdomen. Doctors insert special instruments through the catheter to perform the intervention.
Your doctors can then use previously obtained images of you, MRI, X-rays or ultrasound to guide them during the procedure.
Our Interventional Radiology Services
Our services range from laser treatment of varicose veins to life-threatening deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Procedures include:
- Abscess drainage — Your doctor will insert a catheter (thin tube) into an abscess (pus-filled mass) to drain the infection.
- Paracentesis — Your doctor will use a needle to drain excess fluid from your abdomen.
- Thoracentesis — Your doctor will guide a small tube through your chest wall to drain fluid from the space between your lungs (called the pleural space).
- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) — Your doctor will guide a small tube into your liver, connecting inflow and outflow veins to improve your blood flow. This lifesaving procedure helps prevent hemorrhage (heavy bleeding) from severe liver dysfunction.
- Bile duct obstruction — Your doctor will place a stent or catheter to open up your blocked bile ducts. This allows bile to drain from your liver.
- Biopsies — Your doctor will take a sample of your tissue to identify the cause of a lump, mass or other problem.
- Gastrostomy tubes — If you are unable to take food or oral medication by mouth, your doctor may need to place a gastrostomy tube in your stomach. You can then be fed through the tube.
- Joint injections — Your doctor will inject medication into your joint to relieve pain from arthritis.
- Venous access/PICC lines — Your doctor will insert a small tube called a central venous access catheter (CVAC) into your vein. The catheter provides a simple, pain-free way for you to have blood draws and receive medication, nutrients and contrast dye for imaging.
Our interventional radiologists are fellowship trained. This means they have extra years of specialty training after they complete their medical residencies.
We stay on the forefront of radiology techniques through our partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine. We never stop looking for new treatment options to improve your care.
Why IU Health for Interventional Radiology Care
Our interventional radiologists are fellowship trained. This means they have extra years of specialty training after they complete their medical residencies.
We stay on the forefront of radiology techniques through our partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine. We never stop looking for new treatment options to improve your care.
Nov 05
There are a few things holding some women back from getting an annual mammogram. Ashley Poe team leader of mammography at IU Health Saxony talks about some of those issues. By IU Health Senior Journalist T.J. Banes tfender1@iuhealth.org Educating others is the best part of Ashley Poe’s job as team leader of mammography at IU Health Saxony. And as she talks with patients she learns exactly what holds them back from regular mammograms. “A lot of women don’t think they need them every year and a lot of women don’t think they need them if they don’t have a family history of breast cancer,” said Poe. She started working with IU Health nine years ago and is passionate about helping others learn about the benefits of annual mammograms. Working with four mammographers including Rita Keeling and Monica Bulmahn, and Dr. Matthew J. Nartker, radiology administrator, Poe says team members see anywhere from 25-30 patients a day. And still, there are women who choose not to get a mammogram for a number of reasons. Here are a few: They worry about it taking too much time. Truth: A mammogram takes about 20 minutes.Some have heard horror stories about the compression. Truth
Patient Stories for Interventional Radiology
Nov 05
There are a few things holding some women back from getting an annual mammogram. Ashley Poe team leader of mammography at IU Health Saxony talks about some of those issues. By IU Health Senior Journalist T.J. Banes tfender1@iuhealth.org Educating others is the best part of Ashley Poe’s job as team leader of mammography at IU Health Saxony. And as she talks with patients she learns exactly what holds them back from regular mammograms. “A lot of women don’t think they need them every year and a lot of women don’t think they need them if they don’t have a family history of breast cancer,” said Poe. She started working with IU Health nine years ago and is passionate about helping others learn about the benefits of annual mammograms. Working with four mammographers including Rita Keeling and Monica Bulmahn, and Dr. Matthew J. Nartker, radiology administrator, Poe says team members see anywhere from 25-30 patients a day. And still, there are women who choose not to get a mammogram for a number of reasons. Here are a few: They worry about it taking too much time. Truth: A mammogram takes about 20 minutes.Some have heard horror stories about the compression. Truth