Narrowing (stenoses) and blockages in arteries can be treated using a variety of methods, including angioplasty, stents, atherectomy and thrombolysis. Interventional radiologists are specially trained physicians who use these techniques to treat disorders in veins and arteries in combination with sophisticated imaging techniques, such as fluoroscopy, CT, MRI and/or ultrasound. Likewise, they can perform procedures on organs other than the vascular system as outlined below in services provided. Interventional radiologists perform these procedures minimally invasively, through a small nick in the skin. For many conditions, interventional radiology can offer a less invasive and less costly alternative to surgery. In addition, these procedures typically require shorter hospital stays and allow patients to recover and return to their normal daily activities faster than patients who have undergone surgery.

The Section of Interventional Radiology at Rush offers procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases and conditions, including:

• Women’s health issues:
  • Fallopian tube recanalization for infertility
  • Uterine fibroid therapy
  • Tubal ligation for birth control
• Male infertility and pain from varicocele
• Stent grafts to treat thoracic and abdominal aneurysms
• Carotid stents for atherosclerotic disease
• Renal artery stenting for hypertension or renal insufficiency
• Endovascular therapy for peripheral arterial disease, including:
  • Angioplasty
  • Stent placement
  • Covered stent grafts
  • Atherectomy
  • Thrombolytic therapy
• Mesenteric ischemia and abdominal pain
• Upper and lower GI bleeding
• Hemoptysis
• Arteriovenous malformations
• Tumor ablative therapies and chemoembolization
• Endovascular therapy for thromboembolism disease, including:
  • IVC filters
  • Thrombolytic therapy for deep vein thrombosis
  • Pulmonary arteriography
  • Pulmonary thrombectomy
• Hemodialysis access
• Varicose and spider vein ablation
• Venous access: catheters and ports
• Endocrine venous sampling: adrenal, pancreas, renal
• Liver disease: portal hypertension, biliary ductal disease, gallstones
• Kidney disease: stones, obstruction
• Gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy feeding tubes
• Vertebroplasty to treat compression fractures of the spine
• Fine needle and core biopsies of lesions in thyroid gland, adrenal gland, lungs, abdomen, liver, kidney, pancreas, bone, soft-tissue, etc.
• Drainage of abnormal fluid collections, abscess or painful cysts
• Pleurex catheter for malignant pleural effusions or malignant ascites
• Pleurodesis
• Foreign body retrieval

Hector Ferral, MD, is director of interventional radiology at Rush University Medical Center. He and his colleagues are board-certified physicians who have established national and international reputations, authored numerous journal articles and textbooks, and serve on many national committees. They have extensive expertise, performing more than 7,500 procedures annually. Most of these procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis or require at most a 23-hour observational hospital stay.

They provide the best patient experience, from friendly, personalized approach to their engagement in research for better, more cost-effective therapies. They are committed to utilizing and promoting innovative image-guided therapies.

For information about the following physicians at Rush who specialize in interventional radiology, use the links below to view their profiles.

• Hector Ferral, MD
• Sudheer Paruchuri, MD
• Anil Pillai, MD