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Vascular and Interventional Radiology utilizes minimally invasive image-guided techniques to diagnose and treat a wide variety of medical conditions, including many that previously required open surgery. At Moffitt Cancer Center, our team of board-certified vascular and interventional radiologists uses advanced imaging technologies such as ultrasound, fluoroscopy, CT and nuclear imaging to provide front-line therapies across a wide spectrum of disease conditions.

In addition to our focus on top-quality patient care, we continue to advance minimally invasive image-guided therapies through collaborations with medical device manufacturers, research activities, clinical trials and multispecialty tumor board meetings. Patient-specific treatment plans are reviewed by our various multispecialty tumor boards, ensuring our patients receive the best, most up-to-date and most comprehensive treatments possible.

Our Interventional team specializes in multiple image-guided procedures including:

Percutaneous Ablation

At Moffitt, we perform the largest number of ablation procedures in Florida and our neighboring states. Percutaneous ablation is a minimally invasive image-guided treatment for cancers in various parts of the body, most commonly in the liver and kidneys. Specialized needles called “probes” are placed into tumors under image guidance and are then activated to either freeze or burn cancer cells. This requires only a tiny needle-sized hole through which the probe is introduced.

Ablation is considered a curative treatment in many cases, avoiding the need for surgery and chemotherapy. This same technique can be used to treat a variety of benign tumors such as hemangiomas, desmoids, and osteomas. We often use ablation to treat pain in the setting of bone tumors. Ablation procedures are typically performed in collaboration with our Anesthesiology physicians who ensure patient comfort and safety. Our team also uses ablation technology to treat patients with benign thyroid nodules.

Embolization 

Catheter-directed embolization is a non-surgical, outpatient treatment performed by our interventional radiologists using imaging to treat a variety of benign and malignant tumors. After administering intravenous sedation medications to the patient, the interventional radiologist makes a small incision in the skin at the groin or wrist and inserts a tiny catheter into the patient’s arterial system. Using real-time imaging, the physician guides the catheter into the arteries that supply blood directly to the tumors and infuses microscopic-sized particles that permanently block this blood flow. This technique deprives the tumor of oxygen and other nutrients, causing it to shrink over time. There are many variations of this procedure:

  • Radioembolization is our most used procedure to treat liver cancer. This is a catheter-directed embolization that uses tiny radioactive beads to treat cancer. The particles lodge in the tumor and emit radiation that kills cancer cells, while sparing normal tissue.
  • Chemoembolization is a type of catheter-directed embolization that delivers a high dose of chemotherapy to a tumor while also blocking its blood supply.
  • Prostatic artery embolization is a minimally invasive procedure that helps improve lower urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland and is the most common benign tumor found in men. This catheter-directed embolization targets the arteries supplying the prostate gland, causing it to shrink over time.
    • At Moffitt, we employ this technique to optimize radiation therapy for men who have concurrent BPH and prostate cancer; Our team is leading the investigation into this exciting advancement for men with prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate gland.
  • Vascular malformation embolization is utilized to permanently block blood flow to arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and venous malformations in all parts of the body.
  • Pre-surgical embolization – Before a surgeon resects a tumor, they often request our team to embolize these tumors beforehand to minimize blood loss and other complications related to bleeding. This is common for renal and bone cancers. 
  • Hemorrhoid embolization - This embolization procedure targets the arteries supplying hemorrhoids and is used to manage bleeding. Like all embolization procedures, it carries minimal risk. It takes about one to two hours and is followed by a one-hour recovery period. Patients should expect to go home the same day.
  • Uterine fibroid embolization - This fertility-sparing procedure uses advanced techniques to block blood flow and oxygen to problematic uterine fibroids, which causes them to shrink and relieve fibroid-related symptoms such as heavy bleeding and pain.
  • Geniculate artery embolization is a promising procedure to treat patients with arthritic pain of the knee, as an alternative to knee replacement surgery. A catheter is directed into the blood vessels supplying the synovium of the knee, and particles are infused to reduce inflammation in these areas.   
  • Hemorrhage – In the event of emergent bleeding in any area of the body, whether related to cancer or otherwise, our team of interventional radiologists is equipped with the expertise and experience to save our patients from these life-threatening complications. 

Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) Filter Placement, Removal, Venous Reconstruction and Thrombectomy Procedures

Our team of Interventional Radiologists treats a variety of venous diseases related to cancer, chemotherapy side effects, liver disease and surgical side effects.

  • IVC Filter placement and removal - Patients with a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of their legs who cannot receive blood thinners may require an IVC filter. The filter is an implanted device that is placed through a tiny puncture in the neck and into the inferior vena cava, a large vein that delivers blood from the veins to the heart. The filter acts as a strainer to protect the patient from clots that may otherwise pass to the heart and lungs. Once the filter is no longer required, our team will perform a minimally invasive procedure to remove the filter through a tiny puncture at the neck. 
  • Thrombectomy - Blood clots that travel to the lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism (PE), can be life-threatening. Our team performs image-guided, minimally invasive thrombectomy, using small catheters inserted at the groin, to suck out these blood clots and restore blood flow to the lungs. The same technique can be used in other parts of the body to remove blood clots, including the lower extremities to treat patients with leg swelling. 
  • Venous Reconstruction - In patients who have chronic scarring of their central veins which can cause leg swelling, or in the case of Superior Vena Cava syndrome, swelling of the arms and face, our team directs small catheters to reconstruct the venous system using inflatable balloons and metallic stents.
  • Portal Vein Reconstruction and TIPS – For patients who have liver cirrhosis, or occlusion of their portal veins, our interventional radiologists can reconstruct these veins using stents; restoring normal blood flow through the liver and to the heart using a technique called Transjugular Intrahepatic Portal Shunt (TIPS), all through a tiny puncture at the neck. 

Vertebral Augmentation (Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty) and other Pain Management procedures

  • Spinal fractures are a common and painful side effect of cancers and/or their treatments. Vertebral augmentation is an outpatient image-guided procedure to treat broken vertebrae by placing small needles directly into the injured bone. During vertebroplasty, a special type of bone cement is injected through the needle directly into the fractured vertebra. During kyphoplasty, a small balloon is inserted through the needle into the vertebra and inflated creating a space into which bone cement can be injected. Vertebral augmentation will help stabilize the bone, provide pain relief, increase mobility and improve the overall quality of life.
  • We use cryoablation technology to freeze tumors and the nerves supplying them for patients experiencing tumor-related pain. These procedures are performed under image guidance and are considered extremely low risk. Pain reduction is achieved almost immediately, and many of our patients reduce their pain medication requirements after ablation. 

Image Guided Biopsy

One of the most common procedures performed at our center, image-guided biopsy is the first step towards starting treatment. Our interventionalists perform all biopsies under real-time image guidance and we confirm adequate sampling with the assistance of on-site cytotechnology experts. We ensure enough specimen for both diagnostic testing and to facilitate our center’s many groundbreaking clinical trials. 

Central Venous Access Catheters 

A central venous access catheter is a thin, soft tube placed into a neck vein that is used to draw blood and give treatments, including intravenous fluids, medications, chemotherapy/immunotherapy, or blood transfusions. The catheter may stay in place for weeks, months, or years and helps patients avoid the need for repeated needle sticks. There are multiple types of central venous access catheters, including ports. 

Helpful Videos:

Ports for Chemotherapy and Other Uses: Overview and Placement
Ports for Chemotherapy and Other Uses: Access and Care

Image Guided Drainage

The drainage of abscesses, seromas, or obstructed organs such as the kidney and liver, is performed using needle punctures and small plastic catheters. This minimally invasive image-guided procedure has replaced the need for surgery.

Our Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department is located at the Muriel Rothman Building of Moffitt’s Magnolia campus, as well as at our state-of-the-art surgical center at Moffitt McKinley Hospital. To learn more about Moffitt’s Interventional Radiology Program, call 1-888-663-3488 or schedule a visit online. No referral is required to make your appointment; we’ll help you determine if you’re a candidate for one of our minimally invasive procedures.

  • Interventional Radiologists

    Meet the team of interventional radiologists at Moffitt Cancer Center.

    Altan  Ahmed, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Mustafa  Al-Roubaie, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Junsung  Choi, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Ghassan  El-Haddad, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Vaiva  Gustainyte, DO

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Bela  Kis, MD, PhD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Title

    Vice Chair, Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Hakob  Kocharyan, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Nainesh  Parikh, MD, MBA

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Elias  Salloum, MD

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Pamela  Davis, APRN

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

    Crystal  Erhardt, PA-C

    Program

    Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology

    Specialty

    Interventional Radiology

Treatments