Interventional Radiology

NMC Health specializes in interventional radiology methods like CT scans, ultrasounds, fluoroscopies, nuclear medicine and MRIs.

ultrasound technician performing ultrasound on woman's throat thyroid white woman patient

Interventional radiology treatment at NMC Health

Interventional Radiology is a subspecialty that performs a variety of minimally-invasive procedures using image guidance to diagnose and treat disease in the body.

These procedures are performed with a tiny incision. The physician uses image guidance (typically fluoroscopy, CT, Ultrasound, or MRI) to direct a needle or device to a target area to perform the procedure.

Doctors use this technology to diagnose and treat many different types of conditions.

If you have a medical emergency, call 911 or visit the NMC Health Medical Center Emergency Department.

Interventional Procedures

At NMC Health, our skilled radiology team in our imaging department uses state-of-the-art technology to help diagnose and treat your condition. 

Here’s a list of the interventional procedures that can be done at NMC Health.

For details on each procedure, visit our Health Library.

  • Biopsies (lung, liver, lymph node, kidney, adrenal gland, retroperitoneum, soft tissue masses, bone, bone marrow)
  • Abscess drainages
  • CT-guided injections (piriformis muscle, ischial tuberosity, other muscle, tendon or bursa injections)
  • Parotid sialograms
  • Biopsies (breast, thyroid, superficial lymph nodes, liver, neck)
  • Wire localization of the breast
  • Thoracentesis
  • Paracentesis
  • Abscess drainage
  • PleurX catheter placement
  • Cyst and seroma aspirations
  • Venous access
  • Psudoaneurysm treatment
  • Saline sonograms
  • Esophagram/upper GI (UGI) studies
  • Small bowels tudies
  • Barium enema
  • Therapuetic injections
  • Lumbar epidural
  • SI joint
  • Extremeity joints
  • Bursa/facet injections
  • Occipital nerve block
  • Arthrography (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, toe)
  • Myelography
  • Lumbar puncture
  • PICC line placement
  • Sniff test for diaphragmatic paralysis
  • Hysterosalpingogram
  • Chest tube placement
  • Loopagram
  • T-Tube cholangiogram
  • Spine biopsies
  • Port/PICC patency check
  • Vertebroplasty
  • Sentinel lymph node injections
  • VP shunt injections
  • Nuclear cisternography

ACR Gold Seal of Accreditation

The ACR Gold Seal of Accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. IT is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field.

FAQs

Unlike surgery, interventional procedures require only a tiny incision, which means less discomfort during and after the procedure. Nearly all interventional procedures allow you to go home the same day, typically within 2 hours of completion.

While surgery often requires general anesthesia, interventional radiology procedures do not. Some procedures will require you to have a moderate sedative, however, you will not be asleep.

This can vary between each patient and procedure. When you are scheduled, you will be given instructions on what to do/not due based on the procedure you are having done.

Generally, you may have to stop eating/drinking for a length of time before the procedure and you may have to stop taking any blood thinners beforehand. You may also have to arrange a driver to bring you and pick you up after the procedure.

There may be some mild discomfort as the numbing medicine is applied to the skin and area that the procedure will be performed. After the area is numb, most patients just feel a dull “pressure”, but it should not be painful.

If you are having a procedure done that requires a moderate sedative, an IV will be placed so the sedative can be given.

The results of your procedure will be given to your doctor and presented to you at your follow-up appointment.

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