Anne Covey, MD - MSK Interventional Radiologist

I am an interventional radiologist, and I use CT, MRI, ultrasound, or x-ray (fluoroscopy) technology to perform “minimally invasive” procedures. Due to advances in technology I am able to perform procedures with needles rather than incisions. I use these innovative techniques to kill tumors cells by burning or freezing them (ablation) or blocking blood supply (embolization) to tumors in the liver, lung, and pancreas.

As an interventional radiologist, I use image guidance (x-rays, ultrasound, CT, PET, or MRI) to perform minimally invasive procedures. The images are used to direct tiny catheters, wires, and needles in order to diagnose and treat tumors. Using image guidance allows us to perform a wide variety of procedures without making large incisions, leading to shorter recovery times and fewer complications. We can also treat tumors by burning or freezing them (ablation) or clogging the arteries that supply them with different materials (embolization). Other procedures we perform include biopsies, opening an obstructed channel (for example, a vessel, a bile duct, or a ureter), or stopping a bleeding vessel.

I am an interventional oncologist, a type of interventional radiologist who uses image-guided, minimally invasive techniques to perform procedures to treat cancer. Rather than making a surgical incision, I perform procedures using miniaturized instruments, many of which are small enough to be used through a needle or catheter. Because of these innovations, many of the procedures I perform use only sedation, without the need of a breathing tube or an overnight stay.