Patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Angleton Danbury Campus Hospital can now find efficient, cost-effective and leading-edge minimally invasive care close to home thanks to the introduction of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at ADC.
VIR uses image-guided techniques to treat a wide range of conditions, from vascular diseases to cancer treatment, ensuring that patients receive safe, innovative and effective treatments with quicker recovery times and fewer complications.
In the past, these specialized procedures were only available at UTMB’s hospital campuses in Galveston or in major medical centers in downtown Houston, requiring patients from the Angleton area to travel long distances for care.
“This placed a significant burden on both the patient and their family—logistically, financially and emotionally,” said Dr. Arsalan Saleem, associate professor of radiology at UTMB. “Having these services available locally eliminates the need for extensive travel and allows patients to recover in a familiar environment with the support of their loved ones. Since recovery after procedures is greatly influenced by local support and ease of access to follow-up care, this expansion at ADC is a major step in improving overall patient outcomes.”
Interventional radiology is at the forefront of modern medicine, replacing many traditional surgical procedures with image-guided, minimally invasive solutions. As technology and medicine advance, an increasing number of major surgeries are being replaced with precise, catheter-based interventions that require only tiny incisions.
Beyond offering innovative alternatives, these procedures provide solutions for patient populations who historically had no options at all. Many individuals, due to age, comorbidities or other factors are not good surgical candidates. In the past, these patients were left without alternatives, which significantly compromised their longevity, quality of life, recovery rates and prognosis. The latest advancements in interventional radiology serve as a last line of defense, offering hope and effective treatment where none existed before, Saleem explained.
“This also has a profound impact on emergency and trauma care,” he added. “Previously, patients in critical situations often had to be transferred or flown to major medical centers, resulting in lost time, the strain on resources and, in time-sensitive cases, the potential loss of life, limb or organ function.”
Moreover, many patients simply do not want traditional surgery and are actively looking for alternatives. Interventional radiology offers groundbreaking solutions across a wide range of conditions:
This initiative reflects UTMB’s commitment to bringing world-class care closer to home, reducing barriers to treatment and making leading-edge medicine more accessible than ever before.
Conditions that benefit from ADC’s VIR mission include:
Uterine Fibroid Embolization: Women suffering from fibroids that cause pain and heavy bleeding often face hysterectomy as their only option, which involves a major abdominal incision and a long recovery. UFE offers a same-day, minimally invasive procedure performed through a tiny needle puncture, preserving fertility and avoiding major surgery.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Older men dealing with BPH traditionally undergo TURP, an invasive surgery with risks of excessive bleeding, loss of sphincter control and complications from stopping critical blood thinners. VIR provides prostate artery embolization, a same-day procedure that requires only a tiny groin puncture, allowing patients to return home immediately.
Geniculate Artery Embolization for Knee Pain: Patients who are either not good candidates for knee replacement or prefer to avoid surgery can now opt for GAE, a same-day procedure that alleviates pain through a minimally invasive technique—no large incisions, no prosthetic implants and significantly reduced recovery time.
Minimally Invasive Gallstone Removal: Many patients with gallbladder stones who are either too high-risk for surgery or simply prefer to avoid it are often left with lifelong drains. VIR allow doctors to directly access the gallbladder through the same drain and remove stones, allowing patients to become stone- and tube-free without undergoing a major operation.
Renal Tumor Ablation: Traditionally, patients with kidney cancer faced a major open surgery—nephrectomy—to remove the affected kidney, which is highly invasive and carries significant risks. With image-guided thermal ablation, VIR allows doctors to insert a small needle probe under CT guidance to freeze or destroy the tumor while preserving the kidney. Patients walk out the same day, cancer-free, avoiding major surgery, its associated complications, and most importantly, preserving kidney function far better than surgical removal.
“With our onsite, readily available services at ADC, we can now provide life-saving interventions immediately and locally, ensuring that patients receive timely and effective care without unnecessary delays,” Saleem said.