Interventional Radiology Suite: Where Precision Meets Compassion

Today, there is one state of the art Interventional Radiology Suite at Horizon Health Network’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The IR Suite is located on the first floor, in the Medical Imaging department. With your help, the Chalmers Foundation will raise $1.7 million dollars to install a second IR Suite adjacent to the existing IR Suite.

The new Suite will feature a ceiling suspended single plane C-Arm which houses an x-ray tube and detector, sliding patient table, contrast injector, large monitors to view images and an operator’s console. This equipment provides still and video imaging to complete a variety of procedures.

In one year, the case throughput in the IR Suite increased 38.5%. Many factors contribute to this increase, including a backlog in non-urgent cases and evolving techniques to treat accidents and illness.

Ann Marie describes herself as an average New Brunswick Mom. In 2016, she acted as a gestational surrogate, and following the c-section delivery of twins a hole in her uterine artery was discovered.

“Had Dr. Arnason and the Interventional Radiology Suite not been available on that fateful day, my children would have lost their mom”, she said.

Since her experience, she has become familiar with the capabilities of the IR Suite and believes it’s important that the community understand it’s impact. “Though my procedure was unplanned, and I was unstable because of the internal bleeding, saving my life was successful within minutes of my arrival in the IR Suite.” Ann Marie predicts that the alternative – full abdominal surgery- could have ended her life.

John Collins retired in 2018, and like many of us, picked up several new hobbies during the early years of Covid-19 which included snowmobiling. In 2023, he suffered a snowmobile accident which left him with multiple injuries including broken ribs. After being transported by ambulance to the DECRH, he was able to be seen in the IR Suite. The rapid advanced imaging allowed a fast diagnosis of injuries to his spleen – an organ that sits under the ribcage.   “The availability of the IR suite meant that the injury to my spleen could be treated without the potential complications of an operation to remove my spleen.”

Given his multiple concurrent injuries, John is very aware at the risks he would have faced had he endured a splenectomy. It would have extended his hospital stay and recovery time, and living without the organ makes you more likely to develop infections since the spleen plays a crucial role in the body's ability to fight off bacteria. “I am grateful to have been able to access this care, and am proud to support the Chalmers Foundation’s campaign to add a second IR Suite at the DECRH,” said John.