Interventional Achievements

The first in Alaska to offer virtually every interventional procedure
  • Alaska Radiology Associates Interventional Radiologists have been the first in Alaska to offer virtually every interventional procedure back to the days when percutaneous drainage, diagnostic angiography, and arthrography were novel techniques. The following is a compilation of some of the highlights we introduced to the state (with many categories encompassing a variety of technical Firsts – such as limb salvage using various novel balloon, stent, cutting device and laser approaches). It should also be noted that ARA introduced 24-7 dedicated Interventional Radiology Call to the state in back in 2000.

  • Over the last 20 years ARA has been the first to introduce the following Interventions to Alaska.

    Neurointerventions:

    • Carotid Artery angioplasty and stenting
    • Intracranial angiography
    • Stroke rescue with trans-arterial therapies, intracranial clot removal
    • Refractory Nose bleed embolizations

    Arterial Endovascular Interventions:

    • Angioplasty and stenting
    • AAA endovascular repairs
    • Thoracic aortic stent graft / endovascular repair
    • Peripheral atherectomy
    • Limb salvage

    Embolizations:

    • Uterine Fibroid embolization
    • Ovarian vein embolization
    • Testicular vein embolization / varicocele treatments
    • Prostate embolization
    • Pre-surgical balloon embolization for placenta accreta/percreta

    Oncology Treatments:

    • RFA of lung, liver and bone tumors
    • Cryoablation of kidney and bone tumors
    • Microwave ablation of liver tumors
    • Chemo-embolizations of liver tumors
    • Yttrium-90 embolizations of liver tumors

    Venous Interventions:

    • DVT thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy
    • Urgent pulmonary embolism thrombolysis and thrombectomy
    • IVC filter placement and removal
    • Tunneled central line, port, and PICC line placement (with subsequent training of the Providence PICC nursing team)
    • Minimally Invasive Treatments for Venous Reflux and Varicosities
    • Full service approach to treating issues associated with hemodialysis

    Gastrointestinal & urological Interventions:

    • Percutaneous gastrostomy gastro-jejunostomy, and cecostomy tube placements
    • TIPSS with embolization and sclerotherapies
    • Full spectrum of biliary and urinary access and treatment interventions

    Musculoskeletal and Spine Interventions:

    • Vertebroplasty/Kyphoplasty
    • Metastatic and Primary spine and other bone tumor ablations (RFA and Cryoablation)
    • Percutaneous biopsy of Cervical Spine Bone and Disc disease

    The first in Alaska to offer (PSMA) prostate-specific membrane antigen imaging

    PSMA is a precise imaging target that can help detect Prostate Cancer. We introduced lluccix as an advanced imaging tracer that is used in conjunction with a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to detect cancer cells in the body.