Interventional Radiology & Embolization in NYC

Medically reviewed by Yosef Golowa, MD FSIR · Updated September 11, 2026

Interventional radiology is the specialty of treating problems from inside the blood vessels. Instead of an incision, the physician makes a pinhole in an artery at the wrist or groin, threads a catheter the width of a strand of spaghetti to the target under live X-ray guidance, and does the work there. At NYMD Center the main use of that skill is embolization: blocking the small arteries that feed an enlarged prostate, a uterine fibroid, a varicocele or a bleeding hemorrhoid so the tissue shrinks or the vessel closes.

We added interventional radiology to the group in 2021 for one specific reason. Our urologists wanted to offer prostate artery embolization to men with large prostates who did not want surgery through the urethra, and that requires an interventional radiologist working alongside the urologist. Once the program was running, the same catheter-based skill set opened the door to uterine fibroid embolization for our gynecology patients, varicocele embolization for men with pain or infertility, hemorrhoid embolization for bleeding internal hemorrhoids, and catheter-based treatment of leg veins in our vascular care program.

Who leads the program

The program is led by Yosef Golowa, MD FSIR. Dr. Golowa is double board certified in diagnostic radiology and in vascular and interventional radiology. He earned his medical degree at NYU, completed his radiology residency at Columbia, and trained in interventional radiology as a fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He has practiced for more than fifteen years and holds fellowship status in the Society of Interventional Radiology. Embolization is what he does every week, not an occasional case.

How the team model works

Interventional radiology here is never a stand-alone service, and we think that is the point. The physician who knows your condition makes the diagnosis and the decision. For a prostate, that is one of our urologists. For fibroids, one of our gynecologists. For hemorrhoid bleeding, internal medicine coordinates the evaluation and rules out other causes. That specialist decides whether embolization is the right tool for you, explains the alternatives, and manages your recovery and follow-up.

Dr. Golowa performs the procedure itself. He reviews your imaging, maps the arteries, and does the embolization under sedation through a pinhole in the wrist or groin. Nothing is cut and nothing is removed. Most patients are home the same day and back to ordinary activity within days. Afterward, you return to your specialist, who tracks the result.

This division of labor matters because embolizing the wrong organ helps no one. Urinary symptoms, pelvic pain and rectal bleeding all have more than one cause, and the evaluation has to come first.

Why least invasive first

Our philosophy across the group is to start with the option that costs you the least in risk and recovery, provided it has a real chance of working. Embolization fits that philosophy well. It is done without general anesthesia, without an incision, and without removing tissue, so it forecloses nothing. If it does not give you enough relief, every surgical option remains available exactly as it was before. Surgery, by contrast, cannot be undone. When a patient is a candidate for both, we will usually recommend trying embolization first and say plainly what each path asks of you.

We are equally direct when embolization is not the right choice. Some arterial anatomy is unfavorable on the planning imaging, some fibroids are better removed, and some prostates are small enough that an office procedure through the urethra makes more sense. You will hear that from the specialist before anything is scheduled.

Where the procedures are done

Embolization procedures are performed in our office-based surgery center in Midtown Manhattan, which has dedicated procedure rooms and, for cases that need deeper sedation, a separate anesthesiologist. Consultations and follow-up visits are available at both the Manhattan and Forest Hills offices, and much of the pre-procedure discussion can be done by telehealth.

How to get seen

You do not need an outside referral. Call either office or request an appointment and we will schedule you with the specialist who evaluates your condition, usually within the week. If embolization is a fit, that physician arranges the consultation with Dr. Golowa, the planning imaging, and the procedure date. Most major insurance plans are accepted, and our staff verifies coverage for the procedure before it is booked.