'A Phenomenal Interventional Radiology Team:' ER Nurse Commends Minimally Invasive Care at BIDMC

Patient Story: Minimally Invasive Care For PVI

After giving birth to her children, Kelli S. dealt with pelvic pain for years. She had ultrasound after ultrasound and was repeatedly told there were no findings. As an emergency room nurse, however, Kelli knew that something was wrong.

She underwent a CT scan in her home state of Maine, which is where she was diagnosed with pelvic venous insufficiency (PVI). With PVI, which accounts for up to 31 percent of chronic pelvic pain cases, the normal valves in pelvic veins do not work properly, leading to the enlargement of the pelvic veins, causing pain. At the time, Kelli was counseled by a provider that her treatment options were limited; she was offered invasive pelvic surgery or hormonal therapy.

She decided to travel to Massachusetts to consult with a specialist, which is when she found BIDMC’s Division of Vascular & Interventional Radiology (IR) and instantly felt heard and cared for by the team.

“It was the best care I have ever received; attentive, high-quality care with close follow-up,” said Kelli, who added that everything—from her outstanding intake experience with the IR administrative staff to the highly attentive nursing care—was seamless. “Everyone was very welcoming; it was almost surreal that the process was so smooth.”

“They Truly Care About Every Procedure”

As an IR patient, Kelli was offered a minimally invasive procedure called gonadal vein embolization to treat her symptoms of pelvic venous insufficiency. While a patient is under sedation, an interventional radiologist makes a tiny incision in the skin to introduce a thin catheter into the blood vessel. From there, the radiologist uses X-ray guidance to navigate a catheter to the problematic pelvic veins and closes the veins with a foam substance and small, soft coils.

Kelli spoke highly about Dr. Sarah Schroeppel DeBacker, one of the IR team’s attendings, and the physician who performed Kelli’s minimally invasive procedure. “Dr. Schroeppel DeBacker made me feel involved in my own care,” Kelli said. “As a visual person, one of the things I liked most about her is she pulled up the scans after my procedure and showed me exactly what she did and found, and how we would monitor it going forward.”  

To other women with PVI who are looking for treatment options, Kelli fully recommends her experience: “BIDMC has such a phenomenal IR team. You’re not a number on their task list; they truly care about every procedure.”

BIDMC's Interventional Radiology team is currently seeing new patients. To schedule a consultation, email BIDMC Interventional Radiology or call 617-754-2523.