What is Genicular Artery Embolization?
- Genicular artery embolization is a safe, effective and minimally-invasive procedure to reduce knee pain for patients with osteoarthritis.
- The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting by an Interventional Radiologist, a physician specially trained in minimally invasive procedures utilizing image guidance to diagnose and treat disease.
Long-Lasting Results. Greater Comfort.
- Recovery from embolization is much faster than surgery because there is no incision to heal or stitches to be removed. The risk of bleeding and complications is lower than with invasive surgery.
- Patients who undergo GAE have reported significant reductions in pain scores and use of pain medications, and significant increases in function scores. These improvements were sustained for several months from just one treatment.
Is GAE right for you?
Do any of the following apply to you? If yes, please speak with our doctor to see if GAE is an option to get you fast, long-lasting pain relief without drugs or surgery:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
- Pain in one or both knees
- Pain in your knees when walking up stairs
- Stiffness in your knees when you wake up
- Persistent usage-related knee pain
- Failed or diminishing relief from conservative treatment – i.e. Physical therapy, joint injections
Why Choose Advantage IR (Interventional Radiologist) ?
- Advantage IR is at the forefront of the latest Interventional Radiology procedures that provide an effective alternative to surgery with minimal recovery time. From our doctors to our clinical staff, you will receive the quality care you deserve in a safe and comfortable environment.
- Advantage IR uses state of the art equipment to provide the best in patient outcomes and care. All of our interventional radiologists are board-certified and have extensive experience and success using these minimally invasive techniques to treat patients with a variety of disorders.
Who would benefit from GAE?
GAE may work best for patients suffering from moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. However, GAE may not be right for you if you are (or have been) a smoker, have an infection in your knee, or your arthritis is too advanced and knee replacement surgery is the recommended next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is GAE performed
GAE is performed with moderate ‘twilight’ sedation as an outpatient procedure, meaning the patient will go home after the procedure. The procedure generally takes one to two hours. Our IR physicians will insert a small catheter (a thin hollow tube) into the artery of the patient’s upper thigh and, with the use of X-rays, guide the catheter to the arteries supplying the lining of the knee. Tiny particles are then injected through the catheter into these arteries, reducing the blood supply. This in turn reduces the inflammation associated with osteoarthritis, which alleviates the pain.
Initial (left) and final (right) angiograms of the knee after embolization. A circular marker was placed at the site of pain. The reduced blood-flow at the site of pain after embolization reduced inflammation of the knees.
What happens after the GAE procedure
Are you a candidate for GAE:
GAE is a non-surgical treatment alternative for patients with knee pain due to osteoarthritis who have failed conservative therapy, such as anti-inflammatory medications or knee injections, and who do not wish to undergo or are ineligible for knee replacement surgery.
The following conditions make for a good candidate for GAE:
- Age: 40-80 years
- Moderate to severe knee pain
- Osteoarthritis based on x-ray, but without bony deformity/sclerosis
- Local knee tenderness
- Resistant/failed conservative treatment (NSAIDS/PT/joint injection)
The following conditions may disqualify a patient as a candidate for GAE:
- Current or previous history of cigarette smoking
- Advanced arthritis based on x-ray
- Infection or malignancy
- Good candidate for knee replacement surgery
If you are interested in seeing if you are a candidate for GAE, please contact us at or call our clinic at 99099 08428 / 99099 03449 option 2 to arrange an appointment with one of our IR physicians.
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