Vascular & Interventional Radiology

Our group treats both pediatric and adult patients.  Many patients are referred from their primary care or specialty providers, though we also have a subset of patients who make appointments directly with our staff.  Patients are seen longitudinally in our dedicated outpatient clinic with the assistance of our four very experienced nurse practitioners.  The section also serves in a consulting role for inpatient care.

The scope of our procedures ranges from minor cosmetic therapies to complex interventions in critically ill patients, including transplant-related interventions.  We perform both vascular and non-vascular interventions.  Vascular procedure includes angioplasty, stenting, atherectomy, thrombolysis, and embolization.  Nonvascular procedures include percutaneous drain placement, biopsy, and ablation.  A more detailed listing can be found below:

Arterial Disease
-Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
-Median arcuate ligament syndrome
-Vascular malformations
-Peripheral vascular disease
-Visceral aneurysms
-Trauma

Venous Disease
-Complex IVC filter retrievals
-Thrombolysis and thrombectomy for acute DVT
-Lower extremity recanaliztion and IVC reconstruction (ileocaval recanalization)
-May-Thurner syndrome
-Central venous recanalization
-Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)
-Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO)
-Varicose veins

Dialysis Access
-Endovascular AVF creation
-Fistula and graft maintenance including declots

Interventional Oncology
-Microwave ablation – liver, lung, kidney, and bone
-Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)
-Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) – TheraSpheres & SIR-Spheres

Women & Mens Health
-Uterine fibroid embolization
-Pelvic congestion syndrome
-Prostate artery embolization
-Varicocele

Bone
-Vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, sacroplasty
-Ablation and osteoplasty

GI/GU
-Gastrostomy, gastrojejunostomy
-Biliary drainage
-Cholecystostomy
-Nephrostomy, nephroureterostomy, ureteral stenting

The section interprets noninvasive vascular studies including CTA and MRA exams. Staff are responsible for evaluating vascular disease including aortic pathology and peripheral arterial disease, as well as interpretation of imaging on trauma patients.

The section runs six angiography suites, including five Philips Allura Xper systems and a state-of-the-art Canon Infinix-i Angio-CT system.  Each angiography suite is also equipped with dedicated ultrasound machines.  The section has a Philips CVX-300 Excimer laser system for complex IVC filter retrievals.  The section also has a Volcano intravascular ultrasound system.  Intracardiac echocardiography system is routinely used for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement as well as for complex portal venous recanalization procedures.  Baylis radiofrequency guidewire (PowerWire) is used for complex central venous recanalizations.

The section continues to build upon its rich tradition of clinical and animal research.  We are actively involved with a number of laboratory studies and clinical trials related to retrievable inferior vena cava filters, chronic venous thrombosis, cholangiocarcinoma, uveal melanoma, autologous neo-kidney augment, geniculate artery embolization, and transarterial immunomodulatory chemo-embolization in liver cancer among others.

The section oversees the IR/DR integrated residency. Diagnostic radiology residents and medical students also rotate through the section.  IR faculty are intimately involved in educational programs outside The University of Chicago and are regularly invited speakers at national and international meetings.

The section of vascular & interventional radiology at The University of Chicago is comprised of nine nationally-renown full-time faculty members who are all dedicated to patient care, medical education, and advancing the forefront of medicine.