Interventional Radiology
Image-guided minimally invasive procedures.
What is Interventional Radiology?
Interventional Radiology (IR) is a subspecialty of radiology that uniquely combines imaging, technology, clinical medicine and invasive procedures. Imaging of a patient is viewed on a monitor for reference as the interventional radiologist performs the procedure. IR is extremely diverse, offering care for infants through the advanced elderly population. Procedures involve small needles and tubes, called catheters, that are placed within the body. Since the procedures are minimally invasive, with incisions smaller than one inch, recovery is shorter than traditional operations. Patients receive medications during IR procedures for comfort.
What services are provided?
Oroville Hospital offers a wide range of interventional radiology procedures for:
- Vascular Disease: IR may be consulted to stop emergent bleeding, open blood vessels that are blocked, or deliver medicine to dissolve blood clots.
- Stomach and Bowel Diseases: Tubes are placed in the stomach to maintain nutrition for patients who have challenges swallowing food.
- Liver and Gallbladder Diseases: Calcified stones may block the gallbladder from draining bile. If patients become too sick to undergo surgery, IR can place drains into the gallbladder and liver. TIPS may also help patients who have advanced liver disease.
- Kidney and Bladder Diseases: Calcified stones can prevent kidneys from draining urine normally and this can be painful and cause infections. IR places tubes for urine to drain from the kidney and bladder. Biopsies of the kidneys are available.
- Dialysis Access: Patients requiring dialysis may need catheters that can be placed in IR. If dialysis patients have fistulas with abnormal flow, this can be evaluated and treated in IR.
- Cancer: IR offers extensive services that include tissue biopsy for diagnosing cancer. Many treatments may also be performed for cancers that involve the liver, lung, kidneys and bones. IR places ports that are small devices under the skin for receiving chemotherapy. These devices make it significantly more comfortable for receiving infusions.
- Spine Fractures: Kyphoplasty is a procedure for patients experiencing pain from spine fractures.
- Infections: Infected fluid collections are drained in IR using small needles and tubes.
- Paracentesis and Thoracentesis: Patients may have fluid in the abdomen that makes them feel uncomfortably full or fluid around their lungs causing breathing discomfort. IR provides relief in these scenarios.
Preparing for Interventional Procedures
Each patient scheduled for an interventional radiology procedure at Oroville Hospital will be contacted by an IR nurse to confirm the appointment. The IR nurse will explain the procedure and expectations in depth, and give the patient an opportunity to ask questions.
Pre-Op: The day of the procedure, patients are asked to arrive and register at the hospital 1.5 hours before their scheduled appointment. This gives our hospital staff time to prepare the patient for the procedure and answer any additional questions.
Procedure: Most interventional radiology procedures are completed within 15-45 minutes. However, patients may spend one to two hours in the lab as nursing and radiology staff prepare them for the procedure. During procedures, hospital staff does their best to ensure patients feel relaxed and comfortable.
Post-Op: After the procedure, patients will be escorted to ambulatory care for recovery. Patients who were sedated may spend more time in recovery before they are discharged to ensure their safety. A nurse will discuss expectations for recovery during this period with patients and family members.
Contact Information
For more information about Interventional Radiology, please call (530)532-8385.