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About

Dual board-certified

Interventional & Diagnostic Radiology

Meet your physician

Dr. John Smirniotopoulos

Interventional Radiologist · Associate Professor of Radiology

 

A fellowship-trained interventional radiologist focused on gentle, image-guided treatments that help people move freely again — without major surgery.

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My approach

The least invasive path that truly works

So much of modern pain care jumps straight to major surgery or settles for temporary fixes. My work lives in between — using precise, image-guided techniques to treat the source of pain through the smallest possible opening, so recovery is measured in days, not months.

These treatments are rarely a replacement for the doctors you already trust. I see my role as one part of your team — working alongside your surgeon, physiatrist, and primary care physician to find the gentlest option that gets you back to living.

Training & credentials

Education and background

Education & Training

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine, 2014

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Internship, 2015

NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell

Residency in Radiology & Chief Resident, 2019

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Vascular & Interventional Radiology Fellowship, 2020

Board Certification

Dual board-certified

Diagnostic Radiology & Interventional Radiology

American Board of Radiology

Certifying board

Appointments

Associate Professor of Radiology

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Professional Societies

Society of Interventional Radiology

SIR

Radiological Society of North America

RSNA

Association of University Radiologists

AUR

American College of Physicians

ACP

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Foot & Heel

Plantar Fasciitis Embolization

PFAE

An artery-based treatment for stubborn heel pain that hasn’t responded to the usual measures.

What it treats

Persistent plantar fasciitis — heel and arch pain that hasn’t eased with rest, stretching, orthotics, or injections.

How it works

A thin catheter delivers tiny particles to the small vessels feeding the inflamed plantar fascia, gently reducing the abnormal blood flow behind the pain.

Recovery

Outpatient with same-day discharge; relief can build over the following weeks.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Knee

Shoulder Nerve Ablation

GNA

A treatment that quiets the sensory nerves carrying pain from the shoulder joint.

What it treats

Chronic shoulder pain, often for people who aren’t ready for or wish to avoid surgery.

How it works

Guided by imaging, radiofrequency energy is applied to the small nerves around the shoulder so they stop relaying the pain signal.

Recovery

Quick outpatient procedure with relief that can last many months.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Shoulder

Shoulder Embolization

GNA

An artery-based treatment for stubborn shoulder pain and stiffness.

What it treats

Persistent shoulder pain from conditions like rotator-cuff tendinopathy or frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis).

How it works

A catheter guides tiny particles to the inflamed vessels around the shoulder, gently reducing the abnormal blood flow that fuels the pain.

Recovery

Outpatient with same-day discharge; improvement in pain and stiffness can build over the following weeks.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Hip

Hip Nerve Ablation

GNA

A treatment that quiets the sensory nerves carrying pain from the hip joint.

What it treats

Chronic hip pain, often for people who aren’t candidates for or wish to avoid hip surgery.

How it works

Guided by imaging, radiofrequency energy is applied to the small nerves around the hip so they stop relaying the pain signal.

Recovery

Quick outpatient procedure with relief that can last many months.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Hip

Trochanteric Bursitis Embolization

GNA

A treatment for the nagging pain on the outer hip that comes from stubborn bursitis.

What it treats

Persistent pain over the outside of the hip (greater trochanteric pain) that hasn’t responded to rest, therapy, or injections.

How it works

Through a catheter, tiny particles reduce the abnormal blood flow feeding the inflamed tissue around the bursa, helping settle the pain at its source.

Recovery

Outpatient with same-day discharge and a short recovery.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Hip

Hip Embolization

GNA

An artery-based treatment that eases chronic hip pain by calming inflamed joint tissue.

What it treats

Ongoing hip pain from osteoarthritis, or pain that has lingered after prior hip surgery.

How it works

A catheter delivers tiny particles to the vessels feeding the inflamed hip joint, gently reducing the excess blood flow behind the pain.

Recovery

Outpatient with same-day discharge and a short recovery.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Knee

Genicular Nerve Ablation

GAE

A needle-based treatment that quiets the sensory nerves carrying pain from the knee.

What it treats

Chronic knee pain from arthritis, often for people who aren’t ready for or want to avoid surgery.

How it works

Guided by imaging, radiofrequency energy is applied to the small genicular nerves around the knee so they stop relaying the pain signal to the brain.

Recovery

Quick outpatient procedure. Relief can last many months, and it can be repeated over time if needed.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Knee

Genicular Artery Embolization

GAE

A newer, artery-based treatment that calms the inflammation driving knee osteoarthritis pain.

What it treats

Persistent knee pain from osteoarthritis — especially for people hoping to delay or avoid a knee replacement.

How it works

A thin catheter is guided through a small wrist or groin access to the tiny vessels feeding the inflamed joint lining, where microscopic particles gently reduce that excess blood flow.

Recovery

Outpatient with same-day discharge. Most people resume normal activity quickly; relief can build over the following weeks.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Sacroiliac Joint Ablation

SIJ

A targeted treatment for stubborn tailbone and deep pelvic pain, working through a small nerve bundle at the base of the spine.

What it treats

Chronic tailbone pain (coccydynia) and certain types of deep pelvic or perineal pain that haven’t eased with cushions, therapy, or other measures.

How it works

Guided by imaging, a diagnostic block first confirms the ganglion impar is the pain source; if it brings relief, neurolysis then quiets that nerve bundle for longer-lasting benefit.

Recovery

Quick outpatient procedure. Many people feel relief soon after, with lasting benefit when neurolysis is used.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Ganglion Impar Block & Neurolysis

SIJ

A treatment for pain coming from the sacroiliac joint, where the spine meets the pelvis.

What it treats

Low back, buttock, or hip-area pain that traces to the SI joint, usually confirmed first with a diagnostic block.

How it works

Using image guidance, radiofrequency energy calms the small nerves that carry pain from the SI joint.

Recovery

Outpatient, with a short recovery and relief that can last many months.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Medial Branch Ablation

MILD

A treatment that quiets the small nerves carrying pain from the spine’s facet joints.

What it treats

Chronic back or neck pain coming from the facet joints, typically confirmed first with a diagnostic nerve block.

How it works

Guided by X-ray, radiofrequency energy is applied to the medial branch nerves so they stop relaying the pain signal from the facet joints.

Recovery

Quick outpatient procedure. Relief can last many months, and the treatment can be repeated if the nerves regrow over time.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression

MILD

A gentle way to relieve the leg and back pain of spinal stenosis — without hardware or a large operation.

What it treats

Symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis, such as back and leg pain that worsens with standing or walking, driven by thickened ligament crowding the spinal canal.

How it works

Through a tiny opening, thickened ligament tissue is removed to relieve pressure on the nerves — no implants and no general anesthesia in most cases.

Recovery

Outpatient, with most people back to light activity within a few days.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Kyphoplasty

BVNA

A treatment to stabilize a painful spinal compression fracture and help restore the vertebra’s natural height.

What it treats

Painful compression fractures of the spine, often related to osteoporosis, that cause sudden or persistent back pain.

How it works

Through a small puncture, a balloon gently restores the collapsed vertebra’s shape, and a specialized cement is placed to stabilize it — no open incision.

Recovery

Many people feel meaningful pain relief within a day. It’s an outpatient procedure with a short recovery.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.

Back & Spine

Basivertebral Nerve Ablation

BVNA

A treatment for chronic low back pain that comes from within the vertebra itself — a specific type of pain your doctor can often see on an MRI.

What it treats

Ongoing low back pain linked to changes in the vertebral endplates (often called Modic changes) that hasn’t eased with therapy or other measures.

How it works

Using X-ray guidance, a small probe is guided into the vertebra and gentle radiofrequency energy quiets the basivertebral nerve carrying the pain signal — without affecting the disc or spinal joints.

Recovery

Done as an outpatient. Most people go home the same day and return to everyday activity within a few days.

Book a consultation
Whether this is right for you is confirmed at your consultation.