Locations
Kaiser Permanente
Vallejo, CA
Phone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company
About
Bio
I am an interventional radiologist practicing at Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano. My primary interest is interventional oncology, using catheter and ablation skills to treat liver, kidney, and lung tumors. I am also trained in diagnostic radiology, interpreting x-rays, ultrasounds, CTs, and MRIs. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, dining out with my wife, and bringing my dog to the great bay area dog parks.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Radiology
Radiology - Interventional
Doctor Q&A
42 Answers
7 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Verterbo/kyphoplasty: In approximately 80% of carefully chosen patients, pain is significantly reduced or resolved. This means, though, that the physician performing the p... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Difference: Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are similar but distinct procedure. Vertebroplasty is injection of cement into a vertebral body. Kyphoplasty is the i... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Possibilities: Some possibilities include:
- clogged tube (urine will usually drain around the tube to the skin)
- displaced tube
- decreased urine production fro... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
UAE: Uae is a procedure to treat symptomatic fibroids, or those causing bleeding, pain, or bulk symptoms. Basically, a catheter is used to access the uter... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
No: Chemoembolization is not a curative therapy - it is only palliative, meaning life prolonging.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Chemoembolization: Chemoembolization is a two tiered attack on tumor cells. First, chemotherapy drugs are directly injected into the arteries that supply the tumors. N... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Chemoembolization: Risks include: post embolization syndrome (fever, abdominal pain, nausea), damage to the blood vessels, incomplete treatment necessitating retreatment... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Nephrostomy: During nephrostomy tube placement, the patient is positioned on their stomach on a fluoroscopic table. Sedation medications are administered through ... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Not great: Pancreatic detail is limited on abdominal ultrasound. The pancreas is often obscured by overlying bowel or other structures because of its location d... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Yes: The ovaries are notoriously difficult to characterize on ct, and can be mistaken for lymph nodes, loops of bowel, or other abdominal contents. Ultras... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Excisional: Excisional biopsy is more accurate for diagnosis of lymphoma, because the samples are much larger. Fine needle aspiration (fna) can make the diagnosis... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
CT scans: Ct scans can be very insensitive in evaulating pelvic organs due to the crowded nature of the pelvis, as well as the surrounding bones (the pelvis its... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Pelvic US: These are the same us in terms or equipment and ability to detect cysts or pregnancy. At 3 weeks, there is a possibility that a pregnant would not be... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Nephrostomy: Interventional radiologists are trained to place and care for nephrostomy tubes. In some hospitals, urologists also perform this procedure.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Nephrostomy: If your nephrostomy usually drains to a bag, it will stop draining if it is dislodged. If the tube is capped, only imaging can determine whether the ... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Could be: Any doctor could be wrong on any diagnostic exam. Radiologists are the physicians who interpret scrotal ultrasounds, but they are limited by the imag... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 58-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Reflux: Veins have valves that move blood from the periphery (hands and feet) to the heart. In saphenous vein reflux, the valves of the saphenous vein do not... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Declot: A declot is a procedure to remove clot from a dialysis access and regain function of that access. First, a catheter is placed into the fistula or gra... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
1cm: Greater than or equal to 1 cm. This is an arbitrary number to distinguish it from microadenoma.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
You should: You should call your doctor if you have pain after nephrostomy tube placement. It may indicate a malfunctioning or misplaced tube, but may also be no... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Chemoembolization: This is a procedure for treatment of liver tumors. Typically, a catheter is inserted into the arteries through a small incision in the groin. The ca... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
UAE: Uterine artery embolization has a lower complication rate than total hysterectomy, due to its less invasive nature. However, because of this, it is a... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 57-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Groin/ arm/ neck: The difference lies mostly in operator preference and experience. There are higher complication rates when using the brachial (upper arm) approach du... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Liver biopsy: In my hospital, liver biopsy is performed with conscious sedation, or medication given through an IV to relax and decrease pain. Next, local anesthes... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Yes: It is a common side effect. However, if the pain is severe or does not improve, or of here is severe bruising, it should be assessed by the cardiolog... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
CT contrast: It is injected into an iv, which is usually placed in either the hands or arms.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Enlarged liver: This means your liver is larger than normal in the craniocaudad dimension (measuring from head to toe). The "normal" measurement for a liver is up to... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Risks: Because a needle is inserted into the body, risks include bleeding, infection, and misplacement of the needle, causing damage to adjacent structures s... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
It depends: Angiograms of the lower extremities are potentially long procedures with up to 6 hours of recovery time. If i know the procedure could be difficult d... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:
What does renal collecting systems are not appreciably dilated mean on a ct scan? cause for concern?
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Normal: This is a way of saying the part of the kidneys that collect and drain urine are normal.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
It can be: Barium enema can be uncomfortable, but it is almost universally tolerated without the need for sedation or anxiolytics. It consists of a small tube i... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Yes: Uterine artery embolization (uae) can be repeated as long as the vessels were not damaged during the initial procedure.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Vertebroplasty: In this procedure, a needle is inserted through the skin into the fractured vertebral body. Cement is injected through the needle into the vertebral ... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Fistula vs catheter: Dialysis catheters are placed in veins, and therefore use deoxygenated (dark) blood. Dialysis fistula is a connection between an artery and a vein. ... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Difference: Angiogram is a study to see the blood vessels. Angioplasty is a procedure to widen the vessels with a balloon.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Gastrostomy: A gastrostomy tube is a tube inserted through the skin into the stomach, used for long term feeding in patients who cannot swallow. A nasogastric tub... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Survival: I guess it really depends on whether the lung nodules are metastases. If so, they would be considered extra hepatic metastases, and survival even wit... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Varicocele embo: Varicocele embolization is the plugging of the gonadal vein or veins causing the varicocele. Through a tiny incision, a catheter is directed into the... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Nephrostomy: Urine will always drain with gravity to the path of least resistance. If you have bilateral nephrostomy tubes and patent ureters, all four paths will... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old male asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Yes: High blood pressure is a risk factor for peripheral vascular disease. Also, peripheral vascular disease is a potential cause of fracture nonunion. ... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Yes: If a hida shows ejection fraction of 38%, this is borderline for biliary dyskinesia, or gallbladder dysfunction (35% is abnormal). Biliary dyskinesia... Read More
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Eric Chenanswered
Radiology 12 years experience
Recovery for GSV RFA: Recovery is generally very quick for saphenous vein rfa. Our patients are instructed to wear class 2 compression stockings for 2 weeks at all times e... Read More
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
2
Recommendations
46
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Chen is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Chen is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank for your answer, i will going to talk about with my doctor, i hope that this discomfort disappear as soon as possible. Thanks again.
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Share thanks in your own words...
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful!
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
UC San Diego School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 2005MD
Residency
Harbor-UCLA
Awards
Top Radiologist, First Place, California - Summer
2013
HealthTap Founding Doctor
Affiliations
Society of Interventional Radiology
American College of Radiology
RSNA
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions, provide medical advice, write prescriptions, and more.
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