Interventional Radiology Services
What To Expect
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.
|
Cryotherapy Ablation
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
Varicoceles
A tangled network of blood vessels or varicose veins around a male testicle. For more information visit http://www.varicoceles.com/
|
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.
 |
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
