Learning more about your appointment with
Interventional Radiography
Interventional Radiography is when x-ray and ultrasound machines are used by Radiologists to help guide them through various medical procedures. This helps make these procedures less invasive and therefore easier on the patient.
Some proceedures may require sedation depending on the procedure, in this case you may have to spend extra time recovering after the exam in the hospital.
Please choose from the list below to learn more about your specific exam:
A PICC Line is a catheter that is inserted just above your elbow and it is used by doctors and nurses to administer long term prescribed medications that need to be administered intravenously.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without zippers and with a short sleeve. Please refrain from wearing necklaces for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
Once you consent for the procedure has been obtained you will be guided into the treatment room where you will lie on your back for the duration of the procedure.
A nurse or technologist will use ultrasound technology to locate the desired vein just above your elbow and insert a needle and guide wire. After the guide wire is in place, the catheter will be placed over the guide wire and then the guide wire will be removed.
A local anesthetic will be used to ease any discomfort or pain during this procedure.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
The line is ready for use after the procedure. You will have a dressing applied to the area before you leave the hospital.
You will have an appointment booked for the next day to have your dressing changed.
A Hickman Line is a catheter that is typically placed on the right side of your chest wall. It is a soft, small, long, hollow tube that is placed into a vein in the chest and ends in a larger vein just above your heart. A Hickman line is used long-term to access your veins and can be used to give chemotherapy, intravenous medications, nutrition, and to draw blood for labs.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive to the hospital you will proceed to our Medical Day Care Department, which is located in Ambulatory Care. There you will be assigned a room for the day and provided a gown to change into. Prior to entering the procedure room you will be greeted by a nurse or technologist and the radiologist will review the procedure with you and obtain your consent for the procedure.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to diagnostic imaging by a member of hospital staff. Once in the procedure room you will be transferred to the table and asked to remain lying down. You will be administered a light sedative to ensure a more pleasant and relaxed experience throughout; this sedative allows you to remain conscious, yet comfortable.
Local anesthetic (Lidocaine) will be used to ease the patient’s discomfort/pain during this procedure. Your Radiologist will use Ultrasound technology to locate the desired vein in your chest and insert a needle and guide wire. After the guide wire is in place, the catheter will be placed over the guide wire and then the guide wire will be removed. The catheter will be anchored in place with sterile medical bandaging.
How long will it take?
Procedure: Approximately 1 hour.
Recovery: Approximately 2-4 hours as determined by your physician.
After your appointment
You will be required to recover from the sedation in the hospital after the procedure.
The line is ready for use after the procedure. You will have a dressing applied to the area before you leave the hospital.
You will have an appointment booked for the next day to have your dressing changed if needed.
Please ensure you have a ride home after this procedure and refrain from driving for 24 hours post procedure.
A surgical drain or tube allows the fluid to flow in or out of the body. The doctor puts a thin, flexible rubber tube into an area of your body that requires medical assistance.
This rubber tube can carry fluid outside your body or allow for necessary nutrients to be administered into the body.
Your needs will be determined by your physician.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive to the hospital you will proceed to our Medical Day Care Department, which is located in Ambulatory Care. There you will be assigned a room for the day and provided a gown to change into. A nurse will administer your IV, take your vitals, go over your procedure for the day and obtain written consent to continue with your documented care plan.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to diagnostic imaging by a member of hospital staff. Prior to entering the procedure room you will be greeted by a nurse or technologist and the radiologist will review the procedure with you and obtain your consent for the procedure. Once in the procedure room you will be transferred to the table and asked to remain lying down. You will be administered a light sedative to ensure a more pleasant and relaxed experience throughout; this sedative allows you to remain conscious, yet comfortable.
Local anesthetic will be used to ease the patient’s discomfort/pain during this procedure. Your Radiologist will use ultrasound technology to locate the the area in which the tube will be placed. The catheter is then inserted to this area within your body allowing any fluid to drain from the site. The tube will be anchored in place with sterile medical bandaging to avoid snagging or accidental premature removal.
How long will it take?
After your appointment
You will recover from the procedure in the hospital and your doctor will provide you with home-care to change your bandages.
This procedure is done when a tube or drain needs to be replaced.
This is a minimally invasive procedure with no sedation or freezing required.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
When brought into the procedure room you will be asked to lie on a table and stay still for the duration of the procedure.
Your radiologist will use an x-ray machine to guide a wire into the current drain/tube. Once the guide wire is in place the old tube is removed. A new tube is then placed over the guide wire, which is then removed, leaving you with your new tube in place.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
Your tube will be ready for use after the procedure is completed.
Paracentesis is a procedure that removes fluid (peritoneal fluid) from the abdomen through a slender needle. The collected fluid is then sent to a lab for analysis to determine what is causing the excess fluid.
Paracentesis is used for both diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
A sample of the fluid may be sent to the laboratory for testing, with the results being sent to your ordering physician within 7 days.
In that case, you may contact your ordering physician for your results.
Thoracentesis is a procedure to remove fluid or air from around the lungs. A needle is put through the chest wall into the pleural space. The pleural space is the thin gap between the pleura of the lung and of the inner chest wall. The pleura is a double layer of membranes that surrounds the lungs.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to Diagnostic Imaging by a member of Hospital staff. Once in the procedure room you will be asked to sit upright on the side of your stretcher and lean over a table with pillows. In this position the radiologist will insert a very small tube into the fluid surrounding your lungs using ultrasound to guide the tube. This then allows the excess fluid to drain from the pleural space surrounding your lungs.
You may then be sent for an x-ray to ensure a successful procedure.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
A sample of the fluid may be sent to the laboratory for testing. with the results being sent to your ordering physician within 7 days.
In that case, you may contact your ordering physician for your results.
A small sample of tissue is obtained from your liver during this procedure and sent to the laboratory to be examined for diagnostic purposes.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive to the hospital you will proceed to our Medical Day Care Department, which is located in Ambulatory Care. There you will be assigned a room for the day and provided a gown to change into. A nurse will administer your IV, take your vitals, go over your procedure for the day and obtain written consent to continue with your documented care plan.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to Diagnostic Imaging by a member of hospital staff. Prior to entering the procedure room you will be greeted by a nurse or technologist and the radiologist will review the procedure with you and obtain your consent for the procedure. Once in the procedure room you will be asked to remain lying down in your stretcher. You will be administered a light sedative to ensure a more pleasant and relaxed experience throughout; this sedative allows you to remain conscious, yet comfortable.
Once you are sedated, an ultrasound machine is used to find the identified sample location on your liver. The Radiologist will then use the ultrasound to guide the needle to the correct region and small tissue sample of your liver will be extracted.
Lidocaine (freezing) will be used to help alleviate pain.
How long will it take?
Procedure: Approximately 1 hour.
Recovery: Approximately 2 – 4 hours.
After your appointment
You will be required to recover from the sedation in the hospital after the procedure.
Please ensure you have a ride home after this procedure and refrain from driving for 24 hours post procedure.
A sample of the tissue will be sent to the laboratory for testing, with the results being sent to your ordering physician within 7-10 days.
In that case, you may contact your ordering physician for your results.
To start hemodialysis (also called dialysis), your doctor will request an insertion of a soft plastic tube into a vein. This tube will carry your blood to the dialysis machine. The tube is called a central venous catheter, or CV line.
The catheter used for hemodialysis is a tunneled catheter because it is placed under the skin.
This catheter may be inserted into the neck or groin.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive to the hospital you will proceed to our Medical Day Care Department, which is located in Ambulatory Care. There you will be assigned a room for the day and provided a gown to change into. A nurse will administer your IV, take your vitals, go over your procedure for the day and obtain written consent to continue with your documented care plan.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to Diagnostic Imaging by a member of Hospital staff. Once in the procedure room you will be transferred to the table and asked to remain lying down. You will be administered a light sedative to ensure a more pleasant and relaxed experience throughout; this sedative allows you to remain conscious, yet comfortable.
Local anesthetic will be used to ease the patient’s discomfort/pain during this procedure. Your Radiologist will use ultrasound and x-ray technology to help guide the catheter into the desired location. If a guide wire is used and is in place, the catheter/tube will be placed over the guide wire and then the guide wire will be removed. The tube will be anchored in place with sterile medical bandaging to avoid snagging or accidental premature removal.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
Recovery: Approximately 2 – 4 hours.
After your appointment
You will be required to recover from the procedure in hospital.
Your catheter is ready for use after the procedure is complete. Your renal care nurse will navigate your post procedure care.
An arteriovenous or AV fistula is an surgical connection between an artery and a vein. An AV fistula can be made by a vascular surgeon and is then used for dialysis treatments. A fistulogram is an x-ray procedure that looks at the blood flow through fistula and can assess for areas of narrowing or blockages
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will make your way to the diagnostic imaging department and report to the registration desk. After being brought into the procedure room, a technologist will explain the procedure to you and obtain your consent.
You will then be asked to lay down on the procedure table, where your dialysis trained nurse will access your fistula with a needle for the radiologist. Through this needle, contrast solution will be injected and images of your fistula will be captured simultaneously.
Once the fistulogram is completed the needle will be removed by your renal nurse and pressure will be applied for 5-10 minutes.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
Once the procedure is complete you are able to go home with little to no side effects.
An angiogram is a test that uses x-ray imaging and x-ray contrast to see blood vessels in your body.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital, you will make your way to the diagnostic imaging department and report to the registration desk. After being brought into the procedure room, a technologist will explain the procedure to you and obtain your consent.
You will then be asked to lay down on the procedure table, where your nurse will access your artery/vein(s) with a needle for the radiologist. Through this needle, contrast solution will be injected and images of your artery/vein(s) will be captured simultaneously.
Once the angiogram/venogram is completed the needle will be removed by your nurse and pressure will be applied for 5-10 minutes.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
After your appointment
Angioplasty/Venoplasty is a procedure used to open blocked arteries or veins. It restores blood flow without requiring major surgery.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
*You must inform your booking clerk if you take a blood thinner as you may have to temporarily refrain from taking this medication prior to having this procedure done.
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing without metal zippers or buttons and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
About your appointment
What to expect.
When you arrive at the hospital you will proceed to our Medical Day Care Department, which is located in Ambulatory Care. There you will be assigned a room for the day and provided a gown to change into. A nurse will administer your IV, take your vitals, go over your procedure for the day and obtain written consent to continue with your documented care plan.
Once you complete these steps in Medical Day Care, you will be transferred to Diagnostic Imaging by a member of Hospital staff. Prior to entering the procedure room you will be greeted by a nurse or technologist and the radiologist will review the procedure with you and obtain your consent for the procedure. Once in the procedure room you will be transferred to the table and asked to remain lying down. You will be administered a light sedative to ensure a more pleasant and relaxed experience throughout; this sedative allows you to remain conscious, yet comfortable
During the procedure a radiologist will gain access to the blood vessel through a needle. Local anesthetic will be used to ease the patient’s discomfort/pain during this procedure. Through this needle the radiologist can perform various procedures such as placing a stent to help improve the flow of blood through the vessel.
How long will it take?
Procedure: Approximately 1 hour.
Recovery: Approximately 1-4 hours.
After your appointment
Once the procedure is complete and you have recovered in the hospital, you are able to go home with little to no side effects.
Please ensure you have a ride home after this procedure and refrain from driving for 24 hours post procedure.