Interventional Radiology uses image-guided, minimally invasive techniques to diagnose and treat complex conditions with precision, reduced risk, and quicker recovery times.
Interventional Radiology is a specialized field of medicine that uses advanced imaging techniques to diagnose and treat conditions inside the body through minimally invasive procedures. Instead of making large surgical incisions, interventional radiologists use X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, or MRI to guide thin needles, wires, and catheters precisely to the affected area. This approach allows many conditions to be treated with less pain, lower risk, and faster recovery than traditional surgery.
Interventional radiology can be used to treat conditions affecting blood vessels, the liver, kidneys, lungs, uterus, and other organs. Common procedures include opening blocked arteries, placing stents, stopping internal bleeding, draining infected fluid, performing biopsies, treating varicose veins, removing blood clots, and managing certain tumours. It is also commonly used for uterine fibroid embolization, angioplasty, catheter placement, and image-guided pain treatments.
Diagnosis and treatment are carefully planned using detailed imaging studies. During the procedure, the interventional radiologist inserts a small catheter or needle through a tiny opening in the skin, usually through the wrist, groin, or another suitable area. Real-time imaging helps the doctor guide the instrument accurately to the target location while avoiding nearby healthy tissues.
Treatment options may include embolization to block abnormal blood flow, angioplasty to widen narrowed blood vessels, stent placement to keep vessels open, radiofrequency or microwave ablation to destroy tumour tissue, and drainage procedures to remove fluid or infection. Some procedures may be performed under local anaesthesia or mild sedation, while more complex treatments may require general anaesthesia.
With advances in imaging technology and minimally invasive techniques, interventional radiology has become an important alternative to open surgery for many patients. These procedures often involve smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and quicker return to normal activities. The main aim is to treat the condition accurately, preserve healthy tissue, reduce complications, and improve the patient’s overall recovery and quality of life.
Explore procedures, recovery times, and what to expect from each treatment
Tumour ablation is an image-guided treatment that destroys tumours using extreme cold (cryoablation), heat from radio waves (RFA), or microwave energy. It is used for selected tumours in the liver, kidney, lung, bone, and other organs, often as an alternative to surgery for smaller lesions.
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TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) is a minimally invasive treatment in which chemotherapy and small particles are delivered directly into the blood vessels feeding a liver tumour. It is used mainly for hepatocellular carcinoma and some liver metastases, and is often given as a series of sessions.
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Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks fibroids by blocking their blood supply, without removing the uterus. It treats heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, and other fibroid symptoms. Suitability, alternatives, recovery, and fertility considerations all factor into the decision.
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Radioembolization, also called Y-90 therapy, is a targeted treatment that delivers tiny radioactive beads through the blood vessels feeding a liver tumour. It is used for primary liver cancer and liver metastases, and is typically given in one or two outpatient sessions with a detailed mapping study first.
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Biliary drainage and stenting (PTBD) is an image-guided procedure that relieves blockage of the bile ducts. A thin tube or stent is placed through the skin and liver to let bile flow again, easing jaundice and infection. It is used when the bile ducts cannot be reached by endoscopy.
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Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia). An interventional radiologist blocks the small arteries that feed the prostate, shrinking it and easing urinary symptoms without surgery on the prostate itself.
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Thyroid-nodule thermal ablation uses heat from a fine needle — either radiofrequency (RFA) or microwave energy — to shrink benign thyroid nodules without surgery. It is used for nodules causing symptoms or cosmetic concern, and selected low-risk cancers. Candidacy, technique choice, and expected results depend on nodule type and size.
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TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) is a minimally invasive procedure that creates a channel inside the liver to relieve high pressure in the portal vein. It is used for complications of cirrhosis such as variceal bleeding and resistant fluid build-up, and is performed by interventional radiologists.
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Varicocele embolization is a minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist to treat enlarged veins in the scrotum. Using a thin catheter passed through a vein, the affected vessels are blocked off to redirect blood flow. It is an alternative to surgical varicocelectomy and is used to address discomfort, swelling, or fertility concerns.
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