Interventional Radiology

If you have a disease affecting your organs, interventional radiology can be used to diagnose or treat it. This service is available in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Interventional radiologists use minimally invasive procedures so you have less pain, fewer complications and a shorter recovery time.

Conditions treated with interventional radiology

Interventional radiologists treat many common conditions, including:

• Cancer
• Dialysis access
• Pain management
• Peripheral artery disease
• Uterine fibroids
• Varicose veins
• Vascular disease

Types of interventional radiology procedures

A variety of interventional radiology procedures are available to treat you, including:

• Angioplasty: A small hollow tube called a "catheter" is threaded through a blood vessel to the affected artery. A small balloon on the tip of the catheter is inflated to reopen the artery and flatten the blockage into the artery wall while at the same time stretching the artery open to increase blood flow. A mesh framework called a "stent" may be inserted in the artery to help keep it open. This is the same procedure used in open-heart arteries.
• Image-guided treatment of liver tumors: This procedure places a needle into the liver tumor and creates an electrical current that releases heat. The heat destroys the unwanted cells.
• Tumor ablation: If you have a tumor or abnormal growth of tissue in the bile duct, genital organs or urinary tract, the abnormal tissue is injured or destroyed with heat, extreme cold, lasers or a chemical.
• Uterine fibroid embolization: Also called "uterine artery embolization," a catheter is used to inject small particles called "embolic agents" into the uterine arteries to block blood flow to the fibroids, causing them to shrink and die.