Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
What happens on the day of Y-90 radioembolisation? | CION Cancer Clinics
On the day of Y-90, a thin tube is passed through an artery in your groin or wrist to the liver, and tiny radioactive beads are released into the vessels feeding the tumour. You are sedated, there is no cut, and many people go home that evening or the next morning. This page walks through the day, what to bring, and which symptoms afterwards need a hospital the same day. At CION Cancer Clinics, a multidisciplinary tumour board weighs your liver function and your scans before recommending any treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
The short answer
What actually happens on the day of a Y-90 treatment?
You arrive at the partner hospital, a thin tube is passed through an artery in your groin or wrist up to the liver, and tiny radioactive beads are released into the blood vessels that feed the tumour. You are awake but drowsy, it takes roughly as long as a short film, and many people go home the same evening or the next morning.
Who this page is for
This page is for someone whose tumour board has already recommended Y-90, also called TARE or radioembolisation, and whose mapping scan is done. That scan, usually a week or two earlier, checks that the beads will stay in the liver. If you are still deciding whether Y-90 suits you, start with TARE and Y-90 explained instead.
Who does the procedure
Y-90 is done by an interventional radiologist and a nuclear medicine team at an accredited partner hospital. CION does not perform it. Your CION oncologist plans the treatment with them, coordinates the booking and sees you afterwards. If you are having TACE rather than Y-90, the day is different; read what happens on the day of TACE.
Before you leave home
What should I bring and arrange before Y-90?
Most of the preparation is practical. The hospital will send exact instructions, and theirs always come first.
Food and medicines
You will usually be asked not to eat for several hours beforehand. Ask in advance about blood thinners, diabetes tablets and insulin, because some are paused and some are not.
Never stop a blood thinner on your own.Papers to carry
- The mapping scan report and recent CT or MRI
- Latest blood tests, including liver function
- A written list of every medicine and supplement
- Scheme or insurance approval letters
Someone to take you home
You will have had sedation, so you cannot drive or travel alone that day. Families coming from a district often plan to stay in Hyderabad that night rather than face a long bus journey.
Questions to settle first
Ask whether you are expected to stay overnight, which artery will be used, and who to call if something worries you at home. Write the answers down.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
What happens from arrival to discharge?
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Checks and a drip
A nurse checks your blood results, blood pressure and consent form. A small plastic tube goes into a vein in your arm for fluids and medicines. You may be given something for nausea.
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Sedation and numbing
You lie on an X-ray table. You receive medicine through the drip to make you relaxed and sleepy, and the skin over the artery is numbed. Most people feel pressure rather than sharp pain.
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Guiding the tube to the liver
Using live X-ray pictures and contrast dye, the radiologist steers a thin tube, called a catheter, through the arteries to the branch that feeds the tumour. You will not feel it moving inside you.
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Releasing the beads
The beads, called microspheres, are each smaller than a grain of sand. They lodge in the tiny vessels around the tumour and give off radiation there. This part is quick, and you feel nothing as it happens.
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Closing the artery and a check scan
The tube comes out and the puncture is pressed or sealed. Many hospitals then do a short scan to confirm where the beads settled.
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Lying still, then going home
After a groin puncture you lie flat for a few hours so the artery seals. A wrist puncture lets you sit up sooner. You leave once you can eat, walk and pass urine.
On your consent form
What do the words on the Y-90 paperwork mean?
- TARE
- Transarterial radioembolisation. Radiation delivered through the liver's own arteries. Y-90 is the same treatment by another name.
- Yttrium-90
- The radioactive substance inside the beads. Its radiation travels only a very short distance in the body and fades over the following weeks.
- Microspheres
- The beads themselves, made of glass or resin. Your team chooses the type; read glass versus resin microspheres for the difference.
- Femoral or radial access
- Whether the tube goes in at the groin (femoral) or the wrist (radial). It changes how long you lie flat afterwards.
- Lobe or segment
- The part of the liver being treated. Treating one small part spares more healthy liver than treating a whole side.
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When to go to hospital the same day
Tiredness, mild nausea, a low appetite and a dull ache under the right ribs are common in the days after Y-90. Go to hospital today if the puncture site swells, bleeds or turns cold and pale below it, if you have fever with shivering, severe tummy pain, vomiting blood or black stools, or if your eyes or skin turn yellow. Tell them you had Y-90 and when.
Commonly believed
What do families worry about on the day of Y-90?
"It is a big operation under general anaesthetic."
There is no cut and no stitches. It is done through a small puncture, with sedation and local numbing. A general anaesthetic is rarely needed.
"He will be radioactive and dangerous to the whole house."
The beads stay inside the liver and the radiation reaches only a very short distance. A few simple precautions for a short time are enough; see radiation safety at home.
"If she feels fine afterwards, it did not work."
How you feel on the day says nothing about the result. The radiation works slowly, and the first scan to judge response comes weeks later.
"The mapping scan was the treatment."
The mapping scan uses a harmless test substance to plan the dose. The beads are only given on the treatment day.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot give you the exact timings, fasting rules or overnight policy for your hospital. Those vary from centre to centre, and the instructions you receive in writing from the treating team always take priority over anything here.
It cannot tell you whether Y-90 will work for you
The day itself is the same for nearly everyone. What it achieves depends on the size and spread of the tumour, how well the liver is working and whether the portal vein is involved. Your oncologist will explain what the treatment is aiming for, and when the first scan will show how the tumour has responded.
Who this does not apply to
If your mapping scan showed too many beads would travel to the lungs or gut, Y-90 is usually not given, and this page no longer applies. Lung shunting explains why. Availability and price also vary; Y-90 is offered at a limited number of centres in India and is quoted separately.
Unsure what your hospital letter means? Call the CION helpline and someone will go through it with you.Questions we are asked
Common questions about the day of Y-90
Does Y-90 hurt?
The numbing injection stings briefly, and some people feel warmth when the dye goes in. Most feel pressure, not pain, because of the sedation. A dull ache under the right ribs in the following days is common and usually settles with simple pain relief your team prescribes.
Will I be awake?
Usually yes, but drowsy and relaxed. Sedation lets you follow simple instructions, like holding your breath for a picture, while keeping you comfortable. Many people remember little of the procedure afterwards. A full general anaesthetic is used only in unusual situations.
Can I go home the same day?
Many people do, once they have rested, eaten and walked. Some hospitals keep everyone overnight, and anyone travelling far or living alone may be asked to stay. Ask the treating hospital about their routine before the day so the family can plan transport and lodging.
Can a family member stay with me?
They wait outside the procedure room and can be with you during recovery. After the beads are given, the staff may ask pregnant relatives and small children to keep a little distance for a short time. The hospital will explain the simple precautions that apply to you.
Do I need to stop eating the night before?
You will usually be asked not to eat for several hours before the procedure, and sips of water may be allowed until a set time. The exact rule comes from the treating hospital. Ask specifically about diabetes medicines, because fasting changes how they should be taken.
Are both sides of the liver treated on the same day?
Often only one part is treated at a time. If both sides need treatment, the team may plan a second session after a gap, to protect healthy liver. Your oncologist and radiologist will explain the plan before the first session, so you know whether another day is coming.
When will I know whether it worked?
Not on the day. Radiation keeps working on the tumour over the following weeks, and the first scan to measure response is booked some time later. AFP, a blood marker, may also be checked. Your CION oncologist reviews these results with you at follow-up.
How do I get Y-90 arranged through CION?
The tumour board first decides whether Y-90 suits your tumour and liver. If it does, CION coordinates the mapping scan and treatment with an accredited partner hospital and helps with scheme or insurance paperwork. Call the helpline and a coordinator will explain the next step.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR) — Radioembolization (Y90)
- American Cancer Society — Embolization Therapy for Liver Cancer
- American Cancer Society — Radiation Therapy for Liver Cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Talk to us
Has your team recommended Y-90 and you have questions?
Tell us what you have been told and what is worrying you. A CION coordinator will explain the plan and the paperwork in plain words. One helpline serves every CION centre.