UBNS is proud to offer interventional radiology services in collaboration with Dana Dunleavy, MD, the medical director of Atlas Interventional Radiology at the Atlas Surgery Center. Interventional radiology can be used for a variety of treatments, from men’s and women’s health to orthopedic and oncology.

Patients can be referred to UBNS interventional radiology by their physicians or can self-refer.

Benefits of Interventional Radiology

Minimally Invasive

Interventional radiology is a minimally invasive, non-pharmaceutical alternative to open surgery. Procedures don’t involve incisions – instead, doctors use advanced external imaging systems that provide a full, in-depth view of even small vessels within the body. Doctors use that live imagery as guidance to deliver the treatment directly to the affected area.

All Outpatient

All UBNS interventional radiology procedures are outpatient, so you get to go home the same day without a hospital stay. They also don’t require general anesthesia. Most procedures involve a local anesthetic or conscious sedation – so you’re awake but not feeling any pain or discomfort during the procedure.

Fewer Risks & Shorter Recovery

Because doctors aren’t using general anesthesia or making incisions, interventional radiology procedures involve much lower risks for complications, side effects, and morbidity. Recovery time after an interventional radiology procedure is also much shorter than recovery from a traditional surgery.

Interventional Radiology Procedures We Offer

Our interventional radiologist frequently collaborates and receives referrals from specialists in gynecology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, oncology, and other areas of medicine. Some of the most common interventional radiology procedures we offer include:

Neuro Interventional Radiology

• Kyphoplasty: Offers pain relief for fractures in the vertebrae
• Bone Tumor Ablation: Treats small bone tumors and relieves pain
• Spinal Cord Stimulator: Relieves pain in the spinal cord
• Pain Pump: Implants a small device that delivers pain medication to your spinal cord
• Bone Biopsy: Collects bone samples to test for cancerous or abnormal cells
• SI Joint Injection: Treats lower back pain by delivering medicine to the sacroiliac joint
• SI Joint Fusion: Stabilizes the sacroiliac joint using implants

Vascular Interventional Radiology for Men’s & Women’s Health

• Fibroid Embolization: Shrinks uterine fibroids by blocking their blood supply
• Ovarian Vein Embolization: Treats pelvic congestion and relieves pain by closing off abnormal veins
• Iliac Vein Stenting: Improves blood flow by placing a stent in a compressed iliac vein
• Leg Vein Closure/Varicose Vein Treatment: Shrinks and closes painful, unhealthy varicose veins in the legs associated with superficial venous insufficiency
• Gonadal Vein Embolization: Blocks problem veins in the pelvis to redirect blood flow and relieve pain

Orthopedic Interventional Radiology

• Knee Ablation: Relieves knee pain using radiofrequency energy
• Knee, Shoulder, and Hip Embolization: Reduces inflammation to relieve pain in the knee, shoulder, or hip

Oncology Interventional Radiology

• Tumor Ablation: Treats tumors by destroying cancerous cells
• Tumor Embolization: Treats tumors by cutting off their blood supply
• Biopsy: Collects tissue or cell samples to test for cancerous or abnormal cells
• Mediport Placement: Implants a mediport catheter under your skin that can deliver chemotherapy, medication, and fluid via IV

Meet Your Interventional Radiologist

Dana Dunleavy, MD

Dana Dunleavy, MD, is an interventional radiologist who has performed hundreds of minimally invasive procedures to treat neurological, orthopedic, oncological, and gynecological conditions. In addition to his role as medical director of Atlas Interventional Radiology, he also currently serves as the medical director of the Interventional Radiology program at Olean General Hospital.

After graduating from the University of Vermont College of Medicine with his medical degree, Dr. Dunleavy completed his radiology residency and fellowship training at Johns Hopkins, one of the top hospitals in the United States.

In 2005, Dr. Dunleavy was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society – an honor that only goes to the top 1-2% of physicians. He holds positions on several councils for the Society of Interventional Radiology, including the position of Vice Chair for the Pain Management Council.

Dr. Dunleavy has consistently been recognized as a top doctor in Buffalo and is widely recognized as a leader in the interventional radiology field. He is the most experienced kyphoplasty doctor on the East Coast and teaches other physicians all across the country how to perform these minimally invasive procedures.