Interventional Radiology at UH Parma Medical Center Gains Nearly $2 Million Investment

PARMA, Ohio – Nearly $2 million was invested in an upgrade of Interventional Radiology equipment at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center, enabling the care team to provide more complex exams for a wider range of patients. UH Parma now has the most sophisticated IR lab in the entire UH system, which includes more than 20 hospitals, including five joint ventures.

The updated Interventional Radiology suite unveiled in a May 16 celebration with local and system Radiology leaders and staff will allow for higher-quality imaging that emits a lower radiation dose to the patient.

“Many of the procedures patients would have had to go downtown for previously can now be done at our community hospital,” said Chief Operating Officer James Hill, MD. He credited UH system leaders with acknowledging the growing volumes at UH Parma that necessitated this investment. “This is a big day for UH Parma, and it’s been a long time coming.”

The modern Interventional Radiology suite features new fluoroscopy and ultrasound equipment and a new patient recovery area. Key referring providers currently include various surgical and medical subspecialties, particularly those caring for cancer patients. These new capabilities will expand the spectrum of procedures provided to include more advanced outpatient therapies such as oncologic and non-oncologic embolotherapy, vascular malformation treatments, and pain treatments such as kyphoplasty.

Vessels can be visualized with 3D mapping, and 2D and 3D images can be fused. The resolution of images is 40 percent greater than standard imaging, which provides enhanced visualization of even the smallest structures, allowing radiologists to see the degree of stenosis, or narrowing, in vessels.

Donna Plecha, MD, FACR, FSBI, Chair of Radiology for the UH system, said the growing volumes at UH Parma under the leadership of Salim-Tamuz Abboud, MD, UH Parma’s Chairman of the Department of Radiology, helped make the case for investing in the upgrade at UH Parma and keeping patients closer to home. Added Jon Davidson, MD, FSIR, Division Chief of Interventional Radiology: “UH Parma now has the newest, most updated IR capabilities in the UH system.”

“UH Parma Interventional Radiology will now be capable of effectively matching the breadth and complexity of outpatient IR procedures offered at UH Cleveland Medical Center and regional locations,” said Dr. Abboud. “This is a generational leap in interventional radiology capability for our community and now represents the most technologically advanced interventional radiology suite in the University Hospitals system.”

A strong interventional radiology section is vital to providing high-quality standard of care for many kinds of patients across various service lines, Dr. Abboud added. Capable angiography, ultrasound and CT equipment are basic necessities, he noted, and the recently upgraded IR equipment allows UH Parma to deliver the services to meet the demands of our growing hospital.

“UH Parma IR now has the ability to care for the sickest patients in the hospital,” Dr. Abboud said. “Local patients, including certain trauma patients and those with internal or gastrointestinal bleeding, were often transferred to UH Cleveland Medical Center specifically for IR procedures. Now our patients can receive that care at UH Parma Medical Center in an expedited fashion.”