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Pelvic venous embolization consists of inserting a thin, flexible, plastic catheter (or tube) into the jugular vein in the neck. Liquid contrast agent is then injected into the veins of the pelvis and special x-rays are obtained. These images allow the doctor to visualize the refluxing pelvic varicosities and seal them off using sclerosant and coils placed inside the abnormal veins.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that originate from the uterine muscle tissue. Fibroid growth is dependent on estrogen and progesterone and is rare before puberty. Fibroid growth increases in prevalence during the reproductive years and often decreases in size after menopause. Uterine fibroids can cause heavy menstrual bleeding along with a variety of bulk pelvic symptoms.

Uterine fibroid embolization, or UFE, targets the abnormal fibroid blood supply which causes the fibroid to shrink. UFE avoids surgery, can preserve your uterus, control symptoms, and improves quality of life. Approximately 9 out of 10 women who undergo uterine fibroid embolization will experience significant symptomatic improvement.

Varicoceles are an important, but often unrecognized cause of chronic groin or scrotal pain. Varicoceles are also associated with infertility. To explain varicoceles, it helps to understand the purpose of veins in the body. Veins help return blood to the heart by preventing backward flow of blood. When valves don’t work or deeper veins are obstructed, blood pools in the congested scrotal veins, resulting in vein distension and increased pressure in the scrotum.

Varicocele embolization is performed under ultrasound and x-ray guidance. Your treating physician will guide a small-diameter flexible catheter about the size of a strand of spaghetti into the affected testicular veins. Injection of a liquid contrast agent allows the interventional radiologist to visualize the abnormal refluxing testicular veins and then close these veins using a combination of tiny metal coils and sclerosant.

Symptomatic hemorrhoids, also known as piles, are abnormally enlarged and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus caused by increased venous pressure. There are two types of hemorrhoids, internal and external. Internal hemorrhoids occur in the lower rectum while external hemorrhoids are found in the skin around the anus. Symptoms include bleeding, itching, and swelling.

Hemorrhoidal artery embolization is a procedure that has been shown to provide long lasting relief from the bleeding, itching, pain and irritation of internal hemorrhoids. HAE is performed in our outpatient lab by our board-certified, fellowship-trained interventional radiologists. The procedure typically takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the body – usually in the leg. While deep vein thrombosis is a fairly common condition, it is also very dangerous. If the clot breaks away and travels through your bloodstream, it could end up in the lungs as a pulmonary embolism – a potentially fatal condition.

For serious DVT cases that involve larger, more central deep veins, clot can often be removed in order to restore normal flow and prevent scarring and vein occlusion.

This treatment method is reserved for situations when blood thinners are contraindicated or inefective. The filter prevents large blood clots from passing to the lungs. Filters are typically temporary and are ideally removed when no longer needed.

In cases where chronic DVT has resulted in severe symptoms such as leg swelling, skin discoloration and skin ulceration, the larger critical veins may be reopened using angioplasty and stents in order to improve blood flow.

Peripheral arterial disease causes arteries to your arms or legs to narrow or become clogged. This most often results from hardening of your arteries or atherosclerosis. The plaque associated with atherosclerosis blocks blood flow and prevents oxygen from reaching tissue.

Angioplasty is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through an artery and guided to the place where the artery is narrowed. When the tube reaches the narrowed artery, a small balloon at the end of the tube inflates for a short time. The pressure from the inflated balloon presses the fat and calcium (plaque) against the wall of the artery to improve blood flow.

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), occur when a vertebral body of the spine collapses. VCFs commonly happen in the mid-to-lower spine and are more common in female and elderly patients.

Vertebroplasty involves injecting a quick-setting cement into the fractured vertebra using a small needle. The cement is specially formulated to support broken vertebra and relieve associated pain.

The kyphoplasty process is similar to vertebroplasty. Small balloons or mechanical devices are used to elevate the collapsed vertebrae. The doctor then injects quick-setting cement into the vertebral body.