An interventional radiologist is a medical specialist who spends almost a decade learning the theory and practice of using image-guided methods to diagnose and treat various illnesses. Here are some of the problems that interventional radiologists treat:
- Uterine fibroids – in many cases, the benign tumors that can appear inside the womb cause no problems, and they are detected during routine pelvic exams by gynecologists. When the fibroids do cause problems, the symptoms include heavy and very painful menstrual periods, bleeding outside the menstrual period, and many other uncomfortable symptoms. Several Denver fibroid treatment options are available for patients suffering from uterine fibroids, one of the most modern options being fibroid embolization. Interventional radiologists perform the procedure through a catheter introduced into the major blood vessel that supplies the uterus with blood. During the procedure, the blood supply to the organ is cut off temporarily to cause the fibroids to shrink.
- Prostate enlargement – the procedure of treating prostate enlargement is quite similar in principle to the treatment of fibroids.
- The administration of clot-dissolving medicines – interventional radiology can also be used to prevent blood clots from reaching organs and causing life-threatening conditions. The procedure consists of injecting medicine directly into the blood vessels at risk of becoming blocked by clots.
