St. Clair Hospital Interventional Radiologists Gordon McLean, M.D. and Richard G. Foster, M.D. are now using both of the hospital’s new, multi-million dollar IR labs, which feature state-of-the-art medical equipment for conducting interventional radiology (IR) procedures.
Interventional radiology is a medical subspecialty of radiology in which highly trained specialists use imaging technology to guide miniature instruments, including needles, catheters and probes, through tiny openings, reducing or eliminating the need for traditional surgery. IR is a combination of diagnostic and therapeutic arts.
Interventional radiologists perform biopsies, drain diseased kidneys and livers, recanalize chronically occluded arteries and veins, perform cryoablation (freezing) or heating (with radiofrequency energy) of tumors to destroy them, and treat benign uterine fibroids with embolization, an alternative to hysterectomy. They also treat vascular disorders, including peripheral vascular disease, varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis. They dissolve clots and repair vertebral stress fractures.
IR techniques have become an integral part of general and vascular surgery, cardiology, oncology, gynecology, urology, nephrology, ear/nose/throat and orthopedics.
Both of the new IR labs, equipped with anesthesia, feature Siemens Artis Zee medical imaging technology. The larger of the two is considered a “hybrid interventional radiology” room, offering 3D imaging on a multi-axis system that is based on robotic technology.
Another unique feature of the new labs is an adjoining five-bay holding area, allowing patients, their physicians and nurses to remain in one pre- and post-procedure area. Some minor procedures are even performed bedside.
To contact Drs. McLean and Foster, call the consult line at 412-942-3183 or Medical Imaging at 412-942-3101.
The Doctor is In is for informational purposes and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult your personal physician.