Interventional Radiology

The Division of Interventional Radiology is proud to provide the full spectrum of minimally-invasive image-guided procedures for the Southcoast Hospital System.

Introduction to IR

Interventional Radiologists (IR docs) are physicians who perform image-guided minimally-invasive procedures in nearly every organ system of the body.
By performing procedures in the least invasive way possible, interventional radiologists can diagnose, treat, and even cure disease while minimizing the risk to the patient and improving health outcomes with less pain and shorter recovery times in comparison to open surgery.
Most procedures can be performed without the need for general anesthesia or admission to the hospital.

IR at Southcoast

The Division of Interventional Radiology is comprised of a dedicated team of highly trained nurses, technologists, radiology assistants, physician assistants, and physicians, including five full-time, board-certified interventional radiologists.
We offer the full spectrum of vascular and interventional radiology and interventional oncology procedures to patients throughout the Southcoast Hospital System, which are performed in state-of-the-art angiography suites at both Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, MA and St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA.
We provide comprehensive clinical care with consultation services, inpatient and outpatient procedures, and longitudinal follow-up with outpatient clinics at both campuses.
There is 24-hour call coverage 365 days a year.

IR Procedures Include:

General IR

Biopsy
Paracentesis/Thoracentesis
Drainage Catheters (Abscess, Cholecystostomy, Pleural/Peritoneal PleurX Catheters)
Gastrostomy Tube Placement
Lumbar Puncture

Venous Procedures

Central Venous Access (Chest Port, PICC, Tunneled Catheters)
Dialysis Access/Maintenance (Permcath, Fistulogram)
DVT/PE Thrombolysis
Venography, Venoplasty, and Stenting (May-Thurner, Paget-Schroetter, SVC syndrome)
IVC Filter Placement/Removal
Adrenal Vein Sampling

Arterial Procedures

Angiography, Angioplasty, and Stenting (PAD, Renal Artery Stenosis, Fibromuscular Dysplasia)
Embolization for Trauma (kidney, liver, spleen, pelvic fractures, etc.)
Visceral Aneurysm Embolization
Visceral Artery Embolization (Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Internal Hemorrhoids)
Bronchial Artery Embolization (Hemoptysis)
Internal Maxillary Artery Embolization (Epistaxis)
Uterine Artery Embolization (Post-Partum Hemorrhage)
Preoperative Tumor Embolization
Vascular Malformation Embolization/Sclerosis (AVM, Venous, Lymphatic) – Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia/Osler-Weber-Rendu

Interventional Oncology

Tumor Ablation (liver, kidney, bone/spine, lung, etc.) - Radiofrequency (RF), Microwave (MW), and Cryoablation (learn more)
Tumor Embolization – Trans-Arterial Chemo-Embolization (TACE) and Radioembolization (Y-90) (learn more)

Pain Management

Kyphoplasty, Vertebroplasty, and Sacroplasty (learn more)
Osseous Tumor Ablation and Osteoplasty (Osteoid Osteoma, Malignancy, etc)
Joint Injections
Epidural Injections
Epidural Blood Patch (Post-LP Headache)
Celiac Plexus Block/Neurolysis (Pancreatic Cancer)

Women’s Health/Fertility

Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) (learn more)
Ovarian Vein Embolization (Pelvic Congestion Syndrome/Pelvic Venous Disorder- PeVD/Venous Origin Chronic Pelvic Pain- VOCP)
Fallopian Tube Recanalization (Infertility)

Men’s Health/Fertility

Prostatic Artery Embolization - PAE (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - BPH) (learn more)
Varicocele Embolization (Infertility, Scrotal Pain)

Genitourinary

Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tubes (PCN)
Nephroureteral and Ureteral Stents
Suprapubic Catheters

Hepatobiliary/Portal Hypertension

Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiography (PTC)
Biliary Biopsy, Drain Placement, and Stenting
Biliary Endoscopy (Cholelithiasis, Choledocholithiasis)
Transjugular Liver Biopsy
Portal Venous Pressure Measurements
TIPS - Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (Variceal Bleeding, Ascites)
BRTO - Balloon-occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (Gastric Variceal Bleeding)