Interventional Radiology

At UC San Diego Health, you find expert interventional radiologists. They perform a range of procedures that offer you non-surgical treatment options for many conditions.

Look to us for advanced treatments that are not widely available at most hospital systems. We have one of the world’s first InSightec ExAblate MR-guided focused ultrasound units and other advanced technologies, such as helical CT scanners, that improve our ability to diagnose and treat you.

What Is Interventional Radiology?

Interventional radiologists diagnose and treat disease using minimally invasive, non-surgical approaches. They may insert various small tools, such as catheters or wires from outside the body. X-ray and imaging techniques such as CT and ultrasound help guide the radiologist. Interventional radiology can be used instead of surgery for many conditions. In some cases, it can eliminate the need for hospitalization.

Conditions Treated & Services

• Aortic aneurysms
• Aortoiliac occlusive disease
• Abscess management
• Angiography
• Angioplasty and stenting for peripheral vascular disease, as well as carotid angioplasty and stents
• Blocked carotid arteries
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Cancer therapies including arterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of liver cancer
• Dialysis graft interventions
• Embolization, such as uterine artery embolization
• Gastrointestinal and genitourinary interventions
• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT)
• Hepatobiliary interventions
• IVC filters including retrievable filters
• New treatments for varicose veins including endovenous laser
• Prostate artery embolization
• Renovascular stenosis
• Stent grafts for aortic aneurysms
• Transcatheter radioisotope and gene therapy for liver cancer
• Transjugular intrahepatic shunts for bleeding and ascites
• Uterine fibroids
• Varicose veins
• Vascular access for dialysis, chemotherapy and antibiotics
• Venous interventions for pelvic congestion syndrome, superior vena cava syndrome, and pulmonary vascular malformations