Interventional Radiology Services

What To Expect

interventional procedure catherization gwinnett medical center gerogia Gwinnett Medical Center patients are asked to come in for labs one to two days prior to their appointment. The lab exams could include PT, PTT, CBC, and Chem 7. It is preferred that the patients have their lab exams performed at GMC, so the radiology nurses have access to the results. For most Interventional Radiology exams, patients need to arrive in admissions two hours before their scheduled procedure time. Our radiology nurses call each patient shortly after the procedure is scheduled to give pertinent instructions and obtain a health history.

On the day of the exam, the patient will check in at Admissions and then go to the Radiology Department. An imaging nurse will call the patient and lead them to the Imaging Nursing Unit. An interventional radiologist will come to talk with the patient and gather consent for the procedure. The patient will then be prepped for the exam and taken to the Interventional Radiology suite for the procedure. Following the procedure, the patient returns to the Nursing Unit for recovery. The time for recovery varies based on the procedure. Following this period, the patient is discharged and will receive a follow-up call the next day.

Services Offered

Interventional Radiology is a specialty that combines the expertise of clinical and imaging based diagnosis with minimally invasive therapy. Some of the many interventional services offered at GMC include:

Interventional Radiology Services Offered

Angiography

An X-ray exam of the arteries and veins to diagnose blockages and other blood vessel problems; uses a catheter to enter the blood vessel and a contrast agent (X-ray dye) to make the artery or vein visible on the X-ray.

Angiojet

Mechanical thrombectomy device for clot removal.

AV Fistula/AV Graft

Angioplasty/Stenting and declotting.

Balloon Angioplasty

Opens blocked or narrowed blood vessels by inserting a very small balloon into the vessel and inflating it.

Biliary Drainage and Stenting

Uses a stent (small mesh tube) to open up blocked ducts and allow bile to drain from the liver.

Central Venous Access

Insertion of a catheter beneath the skin.

Coblation of Painful Spinal Metastasis

Coblation technology gently dissolves target tissue, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Chemoembolizations

Delivery of cancer fighting agents directly to the site of a cancer tumor; currently being used mostly to treat cancers of the endocrine system, including melanoma and liver cancers.

Cryoablation

Use of freezing temperatures to destroy cancerous tumors.

Embolization

Delivery of clotting agents directly to an area that is bleeding or to block blood flow to a problem area, such as an aneurysm fibroid tumor in the uterus.

Fallopian Tube Recanalization

The treatment of blocked fallopian tubes to help with infertility.

Gastrostomy Tube

Feeding tube inserted into the stomach for patients who are unable to take sufficient food by mouth.

Hemodialysis Access Maintenance/Declotting

Use of angioplasty or thrombolysis to open blocked grafts for hemodialysis, which treats kidney failure.

Intra-Arterial Brachytherapy

Intravascular brachytherapy includes several techniques to deliver radiation locally to blood vessels by means of catheters or stents.

Liver Chemo Embolization

Chemotherapy Drugs are placed in the blood supply to the liver.

Needle Biopsy

Diagnostic test for breast, lung and other cancers; an alternative to surgical biopsy.

Nephrostomy

The placement of a catheter into the kidney for treatment of obstruction and access for kidney stones.

Pelvic Congestion Syndrome

Embolization of the ovarian vein for treatment of chronic pelvic pain and fullness related to pelvic varicosities.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Use of radiofrequency energy to heat & destroy cancerous tumors.

SIRT (Selective Internal Radiation Therapy)

Small radiation seeds are placed in the blood supply to the liver.

Stent

A small flexible tube made of wire mesh, used to treat a variety of medical conditions (e.g., to hold open clogged blood vessels or other pathways that have been narrowed or blocked by tumors or obstructions).

Thrombolysis

Dissolves blood clots by injecting clot-busting drugs at the site of the clot.

TIPS

(Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt): A life-saving procedure to improve blood flow and prevent hemorrhage in patients with severe liver dysfunction.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization

An embolization procedure to block the blood supply to fibroids in order to shrink them.

Vertebroplasty

A procedure to stabilize collapsed vertebra with a needle injection of medical-grade bone cement into the spine.

Varicocele Embolization

A tangled network of blood vessels or varicose veins around a male testicle.

Varicose Veins

A safe, fast, and effective laser therapy to eliminate unsightly varicose veins in less than an hour.

For more information, visit the Society of Interventional Radiology

Advantages of Interventional Radiology

Procedures require no large incisions; they are usually performed through a small nick the size of the lead tip of a pencil.
Since there is no open surgery, there are no large scars following the procedures.
Most procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Patients rarely require general anesthesia, typically moderate sedation is utilized.
Risk, pain, and recovery time are often significantly reduced.
The procedures are sometimes less expensive than surgery or other alternatives.

Interventional Radiologists

Our interventional radiologists are board-certified physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments using image guidance. They utilize their expertise in reading medical images to guide small instruments through the blood vessels or other pathways to treat disease without open surgery.

	Brandon Kang, MD Certificate of Added Qualifications: Vascular and Interventional Radiology Fellowship: Emory University (Vascular and Interventional Radiology) Residency: University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center - Memphis Internship: University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center - Memphis Medical School: University of Tennessee College of Medicine - Memphis
	Sanjay Patel, MD Fellowship: University of Tennessee - Memphis (Vascular and Interventional Radiology) Residency: Wayne State University Medical School: University of Texas Southwestern
	Jaymin Patel, MD Fellowship: University of Alabama- Birmingham (Vascular and Interventional Radiology) Residency: University of Alabama- Birmingham Medical School: University of Texas - San Antonio
	Harry F. Rinker, MD Certificate of Added Qualification: Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Fellowship: University of Michigan (Interventional Radiology) Northwestern University (Neuroradiology) Residency: University of Kansas Medical Center Medical School: Wayne State University
	James A. York, MD Certificate of Added Qualification: Vascular and Interventional Radiology Fellowship: University of Texas - Southwestern (Vascular and Interventional Radiology) Residency: University of Texas - Houston Internship: Tufts University Medical School: Tuffs University

Imaging Nursing Unit

A dedicated Imaging Nursing Unit handles all pre-operative and procedure recovery for our interventional radiology patients. This caring and friendly nursing staff is comprised of certified nurses, who specialize in interventional and invasive procedures.

Imaging Nurses (Duluth) 678.312.6640
Imaging Nurses (Lawrenceville) 678.312.5280

Scheduling & Pre-Certification

for outpatient orders, including faxing orders through Papervision and an internet-based ordering system called Efileshare.

To schedule an exam or procedure, contact Scheduling at (678) 312-3444.

To learn more about our locations or to schedule an appointment visit our Locations & Contacts page.

Imaging Services Home

What To Expect

Services Offered

Advantages

Interventional Radiologists

Imaging Nursing Unit

Scheduling & Pre-Certification

Interventional Brochure (PDF)

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