Frequently Asked Questions about Interventional Radiology

At Lifespan, all procedures are performed by board-certified radiologists and physician assistants who have completed subspecialty training in interventional radiology.

Generally you are asked to arrive at the hospital 30 to 60 minutes before your procedure, your arrival time will be confirmed by someone in the Interventional Radiology Department.

You will be interviewed by a nurse in the prep and recovery unit. The nurse will ask questions about your medical history. It can be helpful to bring a friend or family member to help remember details of your medical history. A list of medications and their doses is important. The nurse may start an intravenous line in your arm or hand depending on what procedure you are having. This will allow us to give you fluid and anesthetic medication. A physician will also speak with you before your procedure, ask you questions about your health and explain the interventional procedure in detail including  a review of the risks and benefits of the procedure. After answering all your questions, you will sign a consent form, a statement that you agree to have the procedure performed. You will then be brought into the procedure room.

The practitioner performing the procedure, a registered nurse and an interventional radiologic (IR) technologist will be in the room. The IR technologist will run the x-ray equipment and assist the practitioner. The registered nurse is in the procedure room for most types of procedures. If sedation is used the nurse will place the basic monitoring equipment on you and administer the sedative. During the procedure, the nurse will speak to you frequently, answer any questions, and take care of any concerns you have.

After the study is completed, we will bring you back to the recovery room. You may need pressure on the area where the catheter or needle was placed, in order to prevent a large bruise or hematoma from forming. You may be asked to remain in a particular position (flat or on a pillow for example) for a specific time after the procedure as well. Once the effects of the sedative medications have worn off, you will be able to drink clear liquids, and then eat a meal. If you are being admitted for an overnight stay, you will be transferred to your room. If you are going home, you will remain in the recovery room for up to eight hours, then discharged to home with written and oral instructions. We will provide phone numbers for 24-hour-a-day access to an interventional radiologist should you have any questions. If you are being sedated, you will be unable to drive yourself home, so please make arrangements for a ride home.

After the scan is finished, one of our board-certified radiologists will interpret the study and send a report to your doctor within 24 hours. Results will also be available on MyLifespan.

Yes. MyLifespan is your window into your electronic health record. It is part of LifeChart, Lifespan’s electronic health record system, which allows us to create and maintain a single record for each of our patients. Whether you have visited one of our outpatient clinics, labs, ambulatory centers or hospitals, a single integrated record charts the care you received and your health condition. Information from all of your Lifespan health care providers is available in that record.

Learn more about MyLifespan