Interventional Radiology

Delivering surgical outcomes without doing surgery

Seated from left to right: Dr. Buck, Dr. Khan
Standing from left to right: Jean Wolff, NP, Dr. Otitoju, Dr. Horton

The Division of Interventional Radiology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center diagnoses and treats a broad range of conditions, using minimally invasive surgical techniques guided by state-of-the-art imaging. Interventional radiology (IR) procedures are an advance in medicine that often eliminate the need for traditional open surgery. Interventional radiologists can treat clots inside arteries, block off blood vessels that feed tumors, drain blocked organs and perform biopsies through a tiny incision, in which small, thin surgical instruments are navigated, under image guidance, to the target area. Image guidance includes X-rays, magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) scans and ultrasound.

At the Hospital Center, our interventional radiologists are highly-skilled and experienced physicians, performing hundreds of IR procedures annually. As radiologists, they have extensive expertise in reading and interpreting medical images. As interventional radiologists, they combine that expertise with advanced subspecialty training in minimally invasive interventions to deliver safe and effective treatments across medical specialties.

Our services include:

Varicose vein therapies
Uterine fibroid embolization
Angioplasty, stenting, thrombolysis and endovascular grafting for patients with peripheral vascular disease and/or renovascular hypertension
Angioplasty, atherectomy and stenting for permanent hemodialysis access grafts
Insertion, revision and replacement of central venous catheters
Gastrostomy Tube Placement

Catheter placement for embolization and intra-arterial or intraperitoneal chemotherapy for gastrointestinal and extremity malignancies
Inferior vena cava filter deployment and retrieval
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS)
Abscess drainage, nephrostomy, biliary drainage, etc.
Biopsies
Thoracentesis and paracentesis

In contrast to traditional surgery, IR procedures are generally more comfortable and easier for the patient. They do not require a large incision to access the inner parts of the body. As a result, most IR procedures require only local anesthesia and light sedation, rather than general anesthesia. This allows the patient to go home the same day or the day after the procedure. And as a minimally invasive procedure, patients have shorter recovery times, experience less pain and scarring, and return to normal activities much sooner than with traditional surgery.

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