Womens Health
Embolization
For patients
What is interventional radiology?
Interventional radiology (IR) is a medical specialty that uses imaging, such as X-ray, CT, MRI or ultrasound, to guide treatment through a needle or a small nick in the skin instead of open surgery.
How does IR work?
Most IR treatments begin with the prick of a needle. The interventional radiologist—a physician trained in image-guided, minimally invasive therapies—directs a thin wire and a catheter (the size of a strand of spaghetti) through a blood vessel to treat the source of pain or disease. It may sound futuristic, but that’s exactly how some of the most innovative and effective treatments in medicine are happening today.
Interventional radiology treatments often come with less risk, less pain, shorter recovery times and better outcomes than traditional (open) surgery.
Why choose a minimally invasive treatment instead of surgery?
IR treatments are done through a tiny opening in the skin, usually closed with skin glue or a bandage. Because they are minimally invasive, they carry less risk of infection and other complications, less post-procedural pain, and a shorter recovery time.
Most IR treatments are outpatient procedures. Instead of general anesthesia, patients receive medicine through an IV to help you relax and control pain, then go home the same day.
Who is an interventional radiologist?
An interventional radiologist (IR) is a highly trained, board-certified doctor who uses imaging, such as X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, to guide minimally invasive treatments. IRs diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases almost anywhere in the body.
Since Dr. Charles Dotter pioneered the specialty in the 1960s, IRs have developed both new techniques and the tools to perform them. Many of these targeted treatments are now used across medicine.
Do IRs work with my care team?Yes. IRs work closely with your other doctors and manage your care before, during and after treatment. At follow-up visits, your IR checks your progress and addresses any symptoms that remain.
Patients share how IR has changed lives
Hear from patients about how minimally invasive, image-guided treatment from an interventional radiologist made a difference for them.
What conditions does IR treat?
IRs treat many of today's toughest medical problems, including:
- Blood clots, poor circulation and chronic leg pain
- Many cancers, including liver, kidney, bone and soft tissue cancer
- Back pain and pain from osteoporosis
- Men's and women's health conditions
Condition
Uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus. UFE shrinks them by blocking their blood supply. Most women go home the same day and recover in about a week.
Condition
Cancer
Interventional radiologists (IRs) treat cancer with minimally invasive, image-guided therapies and support patients from diagnosis through recovery.
Interventional Oncology
Biopsy
Ablation
Embolization
Condition
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common condition affecting 1 in 20 Americans age 50 and older.
Peripheral Arterial
Stenting
Thrombolysis
Condition
Deep venous disease
Blood clots in deep veins, usually in the legs, that can travel to the lungs and become life threatening.
Venous
Thrombolysis
IVC filter
Condition
Back pain
Most people suffer from low back pain at some point in their lives. In most cases, the back pain gets better on its own. When it doesn’t, there are several steps you can take.
Pain Management
Condition
Joint or tendon pain
Joint pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability among older adults. IRs can help treat knee osteoarthritis, tennis elbow and frozen shoulder.
Pain Management
Embolization
Ablation
Condition
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
AAA is an enlargement of the aorta, the main artery in the abdomen. An IR can help treat it.
Thoracic/Abdominal
Stenting
Condition
Superficial venous disease
Superficial veins are those close to the surface of the body. Superficial venous disease is a common clinical problem also known as “chronic venous insufficiency” or “venous reflux.”
Venous
Sclerotherapy
Ablation
Condition
Pelvic venous disorders
Pelvic venous disorders are clinical problems (conditions) that can result when veins in the pelvis are not functioning properly. This can lead to pooling of blood in certain areas of the pelvis and this excessive blood can lead to symptoms, mostly in women. An IR can help.
Venous
Womens Health
Embolization
Stenting
Condition
Enlarged prostate
Enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), symptoms affect approximately 50 percent of men in their 50s and as many as 90 percent in their 70s and 80s. While there are other treatments for enlarged prostate, interventional radiologists can provide an innovative treatment called prostate artery embolization (PAE) to reduce the size of the prostate and relieve the bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms.
Mens Health
Embolization
Condition
Varicoceles
A varicocele is an enlargement of veins within the scrotum (the loose pouch of skin that holds the testicles). An interventional radiologist can diagnose varicoceles by physical examination as well as ultrasound examination.
Mens Health
Embolization
Condition
Female infertility
Infertility is when one is unable to get pregnant after 6 to 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control. Infertility can sometimes be caused by a blockage of the fallopian tube(s), the passages that the eggs travel through to get from the ovaries to the uterus (womb). If a fallopian tube blockage is discovered, an interventional radiologist may be able to help you by recanalizing (or unblocking) the affected fallopian tube.
Womens Health
Condition
Pediatric interventional radiology
Pediatric interventional radiologists (PIRs) are specially trained to deliver minimally invasive care to infants, children and teenagers. The treatments they deliver carry less risk, less pain and less recovery time than traditional surgery.
Pediatric
Drainage
Biopsy
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Last updated
This page was updated by the Society of Interventional Radiology on February 2025.