Interventional Radiology is an advanced field in which specialists use imaging and minimally invasive tools to perform procedures as an alternative to open surgery. With our cutting-edge technology, we can view specific areas of the body to diagnose and treat many types of cancer. On most occasions our patients go home on the same day of their procedure. The most common types of cancer we treat with our interventional radiology techniques are lung, liver, kidney, and bone cancer. The procedures include biopsies, tumor ablations, Y-90 radioembolization of liver tumors/metastases, and stenting. Y-90 refers to the radioactive isotope yttrium 90, which is used to deliver radiation in tiny particles directly to either a primary liver tumor or metastasis. These y-90 particles are delivered through a small catheter via access points in the groin or the wrist that are only millimeters in diameter.
Conditions and how they're treated
- Conditions Treated: Tumors and masses throughout the body, organ dysfunction (liver, kidney)
- Reason for Procedure: To obtain a tissue diagnosis, which can help direct treatment and prevent the need for a surgical biopsy
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will place a small needle through the skin into the target mass or organ. Tissue samples are obtained. At times, samples are evaluated under a microscope during the biopsy procedure to ensure adequate sampling.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: 1-2 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Chronic upper abdominal pain, pain due to pancreatic cancer or other abdominal cancers
- Reason for Procedure: To relieve chronic abdominal pain, usually due to pancreatic cancer, thereby improving quality of life and minimizing the need for narcotic pain medications.
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will advance small needles into the celiac plexus under CT scan guidance. Anesthetic will be injected to block the nerve and determine if the celiac plexus is the cause of your pain signal. If pain relief is achieved, alcohol can be injected during the same session or at a later date to destroy the nerve and provide long lasting pain relief.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: 2-4 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Liver cancer
- Reason for Procedure: Liver cancers are supplied by hepatic arteries. These arteries can be accessed, and chemotherapy can be delivered directly into the tumor.
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist accesses an artery usually in the wrist or leg. Small catheters are advanced through the arteries into the liver, and the arteries supplying the tumor are identified. Small particles infused with chemotherapy are directly injected into the tumor.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: Patients will lie flat for 2-4 hours after the procedure. Patients are usually admitted overnight to the hospital for observation, and to manage post procedure pain, nausea, and low-grade fever. Most patients go home the day after the procedure.
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Poor nutrition, cancer, aspiration
- Reason for Procedure: To provide nutritional support in individuals who are unable to obtain sufficient nutrition by mouth
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will place a tube into the stomach (gastrostomy) using X-ray guidance. Sometimes a longer tube can be placed into the small bowel (gastrojejunostomy) if needed. The tube can generally be used right away to provide nutrition and administer certain medications.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation, Local Anesthetic
- Recovery Time: 1-2 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Central nervous system disease, cancer with metastases to the spine and central nervous system, pseudotumor cerebri, intracranial hypertension
- Reason for Procedure: To diagnose and treat multiple cause of central nervous system disease, including but not limited to infection, multiple sclerosis, Lyme Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, and intracranial hypertension
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will place a small needle into your spinal fluid in your lower back using X-ray guidance. Spinal fluid pressure measurements are performed, and samples of the fluid are obtained for analysis. In certain cases, spinal fluid can be removed to treat high pressure, medications like chemotherapy can be injected to treat your condition, or contrast can be injected prior to CT or MRI if needed.
- Anesthesia: Local Anesthesia.
- Recovery Time: 1-2 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Lung mass, lung nodule, lung cancer
- Reason for Procedure: To diagnose lung cancer and provide targeting for lung radiation treatment
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will place a small needle into the targeted lung mass or nodule under CT scan guidance. Biopsy samples will be obtained to evaluate for cancer. In certain cases, your Oncologist might ask for placement of a fiducial marker, a small metal clip, which can be used as a target for future radiation therapy.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: 2-4 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), primary or secondary liver cancer, liver metastases
- Reason for Procedure: To treat liver tumors in patients who are not currently candidates for surgery or liver transplantation
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will often be asked to biopsy your liver tumors. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, your oncologist might recommend liver directed therapy. This includes a variety of procedures including liver mass ablation procedures to either burn or freeze tumors or Y90 radioembolization (targeted delivery of radiation directly into the tumor). Liver directed therapies are tailored to each patient’s unique situation.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: 2-4 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), primary or secondary liver cancer, liver metastases
- Reason for Procedure: Most cancers are susceptible to radiation. External beam radiation dose must be limited at times, to prevent injury to healthy tissue surrounding your cancer. Radioembolization allows for targeted delivery of radiation directly into liver tumors, thereby avoiding injury to nearby tissues.
- How It’s Performed: Y90 radioembolization is usually performed in at least two sessions. An Interventional Radiologist will first perform a procedure to map your liver arteries. An artery in your wrist or leg will be accessed. Small catheters will be advanced into the liver arteries and injection of contrast dye is performed to study the arteries. Small arteries might be closed off to prevent radiation from going to your GI tract. A test will also be performed to evaluate for shunting of blood flow from your liver to your lungs. Following mapping, a second procedure is usually performed 1-2 weeks after, at which time the liver arteries will be again accessed, and the Y90 radiation dose is administered.
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation
- Recovery Time: 2-4 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
- Conditions Treated: Solid organ tumors, liver cancer, renal cell carcinoma, metastatic tumors, osteoid osteoma, painful spinal metastasis
- Reason for Procedure: To provide a minimally invasive option to destroy tumors, without the need for open surgery.
- How It’s Performed: An Interventional Radiologist will place a small needle into the tumor of interest using US and CT scan guidance. At times, a biopsy will be performed. The tumor tissue is then killed using heat (microwave or radiofrequency ablation), cold (cryoablation), or sometimes rapid-pulsed electricity (irreversible electroporation).
- Anesthesia: Conscious Sedation, General Anesthesia
- Recovery Time: 2 hours
- For more information and to schedule a consultation with one of our IR physicians, please call 631-403-7088
