Rapides Regional Medical Center has opened a new interventional radiology suite designed to support minimally invasive procedures, following a $3 million investment in imaging and treatment infrastructure.

Hospital leaders marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 13. The Alexandria, Louisiana-based hospital said the new unit is intended to expand access to interventional oncology, vascular and musculoskeletal treatments for patients in central Louisiana.

“We will be able to perform CT scans while the patient is on the table,” said interventional radiologist Dr. Elie Barakat. “This will help during treatments we are doing, especially advanced oncology treatments. We can directly inject beams of radiation inside the tumors.”
Barakat said the approach may reduce the amount of radiation exposure for patients and could allow individuals to receive specialized procedures locally rather than traveling to other parts of the state.

According to the hospital, the suite will support a range of procedures, including biopsies, vascular access procedures, fluid management, drainage interventions, uterine and prostate embolization, and cryoablation.

Brandi Laroux, radiology director at Rapides Regional Medical Center, said the system is designed to improve workflow and imaging performance during procedures.

“Both our patients and clinicians can benefit from the speed, low-dose levels, and outstanding image quality of this new system,” Laroux said. “It will allow our physicians to complete a variety of diagnostic and interventional procedures faster, and that means the patient is off the table and on their way to recovery and discharge much sooner.”

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