Genicular Artery Embolisation (GAE), a minimally invasive intervention, is being offered to people with osteoarthritis for pain relief. At a webinar on ‘Regain your pain-free knee without surgery’, jointly organised by the MIOT Hospital and The Hindu on Friday, experts said that the procedure provided pain relief for at least two to three years.
Karthikeyan Damodharan, director of vascular and interventional radiology at the hospital, said that a fine catheter guided by a specialised X-Ray machine is inserted to inject inert and medical grade plastic particles that block blood flow to inflammation-causing new and abnormal blood vessels and nerve fibres in the knee.
The pinhole procedure is done under local anaesthesia.
“There are no scars, and the hospital stay is reduced to 24 hours. The patient can start walking immediately, and is relieved of knee pain within 48 hours...,” Dr. Karthikeyan said. Osteoarthritis is a non-reversible degenerative age-related disease wherein the lubricating synovial membrane thickens. The soft tissue cartilage between knee joints breaks down. Inflammation occurs as tiny blood vessels are formed to increase blood flow.
He further said that knee pain can be avoided by maintaining body weight. For severe cartilage loss, knee replacement is a treatment that lasts 10-15 years. However, as not all are eligible for surgery, the GAE provides an alternative.
The procedure is not recommended for persons having rheumatoid, lupus or other kinds of arthritis, he said. GAE is an option for those with co-morbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiac stents, among others. It can be repeated when its effect wears out, depending on the severity of cartilage degeneration, he added.
The hospital has organised a camp for osteoarthritis from July 1-6 to evaluate patients for the procedure.
The treatment costs ₹1.70 lakh, and a discount would be offered to those who attend the camp if they require the procedure.
