The UC Irvine Health Ablative Oncology Center is one of the first multidisciplinary centers in the nation — and the only one in Orange County — to harness the expertise of vascular and interventional radiologists, surgeons and other medical professionals all working together to deliver the least invasive therapies to destroy malignancies.
Recent technological advances have made it possible to treat many more diseases and conditions with heat or extreme cold to kill malignant cells in the body. Treatments are designed to destroy, or ablate, tumor cells while leaving normal structures intact. The therapies, which include percutaneous (nonsurgical) ablation and embolization, offer a high degree of accuracy, effectiveness and safety because they are performed with advanced medical imaging modalities.
Our vascular and interventional radiologists treat a variety of conditions with ablative methods, including benign and malignant tumors, hydronephrosis, biliary obstructions, vascular obstructions and venous thrombosis.
Ablation technologies used by our vascular and interventional radiologists include:
- Cryoablation
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Microwave ablation
- Irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife®)
- Embolization
Other ablative treatments
UC Irvine Health vascular and interventional radiologists also specialize in a number of ablative therapies for noncancerous conditions, including uterine fibroids. Using a technique called uterine artery embolization, the physicians are able to reduce the size of fibroid tumors and in many cases eliminate them by blocking their blood supply. This eliminates the need for hysterectomies and open surgery in many women.
Learn more about ablative vascular and interventional radiology services >
Clinical Team
Dayantha Fernando, MD
Interventional radiologist
Dr. Fernando is a fellowship-trained vascular and interventional radiologist who specializes in advanced minimally invasive treatment of a wide variety of diseases throughout the body. His expertise includes vascular, biliary and urologic interventions. He also has expertise in treating cancer using the latest interventional oncology techniques, such as chemoembolization, radioembolization, cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation. Fernando, who completed his fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology at UC Davis, is certified by the American Board of Radiology.
Scott Goodwin, MD
Interventional radiologist
Dr. Goodwin is an internationally recognized vascular and interventional radiologist who pioneered a uterus-sparing minimally invasive treatment to remove uterine fibroids. The procedure, known as uterine artery embolization (UAE), reduces the size of uterine fibroids by blocking their blood supply, eliminating the need for hysterectomies in many women. Goodwin, who directs radiology services at UC Irvine Medical Center, also performs chemoembolization of liver cancer. He completed his fellowship in cardiovascular and interventional radiology at the UCLA, and is certified in diagnostic radiology and vascular and interventional radiology by the American Board of Radiology. Goodwin, the Hasso Brothers Chair of the Department of Radiological Services at UC Irvine School of Medicine, has repeatedly been listed among the nation’s Best Doctors in America® for radiology, and he is regarded as one of the top 10 researchers in uterine fibroids.
Duane J. Vajgrt, MD
Vascular and interventional radiologist
Dr. Vajgrt is a fellowship-trained vascular and interventional radiologist with extensive experience in a variety of ablative techniques and treatments, including renal cryoablation and image-guided radiofrequency ablation. His clinical interests include urologic and hepatobiliary interventions, embolotherapy, arterial and venous balloon angioplasty, and thrombolytic therapy. Vajgrt, who completed his fellowship in cardiovascular and interventional radiology at UC Irvine Medical Center, is a certified member of the American Board of Radiology in both diagnostic radiology and vascular and interventional radiology.