Osteoarthritis causes pain that lasts for years, often worsening to an unbearable level. If you’ve got osteoarthritis in your knees but not ready or a candidate for surgery and other treatments aren’t working, visit double board-certified radiologist Yosef Golowa, MD, FSIR. At his practice in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, Dr. Golowa specializes in minimally invasive genicular artery embolization (GAE) to reduce pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Call Dr. Golowa’s office today or book an appointment online to find out how GAE can relieve your knee pain.

What is GAE?

GAE (genicular artery embolization) is a minimally invasive treatment for knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a common disease among people in middle and later life. It’s caused by joint use over many years that wears away the protective cartilage at the ends of your bones.

The unprotected bones rub against one another, causing joint pain, stiffness, and weakness. Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition resulting in severe, ongoing pain and disability. It can affect any joint but is often particularly bad in the knees.

The inflamed lining if the joint or synovium can release inflammatory factors, further damaging the cartilage and causing a vicious cycle. GAE blocks the blood flow to your knee’s lining (synovium), and less blood flow reduces inflammation and pain.

GAE doesn’t treat the cartilage damage causing your osteoarthritis, but it can significantly reduce the pain and slow down some of the degenerative processes. Studies show that patients who’ve had GAE treatment report an average reduction in pain from eight (out of 10) to just three, a significant improvement.

What does GAE involve?

Dr. Golowa performs GAE as an outpatient procedure that usually takes approximately 1hour. He uses twilight sedation that makes you sleepy and calm.

Dr. Golowa inserts a catheter (a thin, hollow tube) into an artery in your upper thigh. Using X-ray images, he guides the catheter along the artery that supplies blood to the knee lining. When the catheter’s in position, Dr. Golowa injects tiny gel particles into your arteries to restrict the quantity of blood flowing into the tissues.

Patients go home the same day after GAE. You should notice reduced pain after about two weeks as the inflammation in your knee lessens.

Is GAE the right treatment for me?

GAE is an excellent nonsurgical treatment for people with advanced knee osteoarthritis. When you first develop osteoarthritis, pain medication and physical therapy help ease your symptoms. But after a while, they become less effective.

Steroid or hyaluronic acid injections into the knee can help when conservative treatments lose effectiveness. If these treatments stop working as arthritis worsens, and you are not ready or not a good candidate for surgery, GAE could be the answer.

The best candidates for GAE are 40-80 years old with moderate to severe knee pain and no bony deformities in their joints.

Call Yosef Golowa, MD FSIR, today or book an appointment online to find out if GAE can reduce your osteoarthritis pain.