Is GAE Right for You? Who's a Good Candidate (and Who Isn't)?
If knee pain has you skipping walks, avoiding stairs, or turning down plans, you’ve probably
wondered what else is out there. At Coastal Vascular & Vein Center, we offer genicular arteryembolization (GAE), a minimally invasive knee osteoarthritis treatment for patients who want
relief without major surgery. Knowing who tends to benefit most is a good first step toward
deciding if it’s right for you.
How GAE helps.
Knee osteoarthritis is the gradual wearing down of cartilage in the joint. Over time, extra blood
vessels can form around the knee and feed inflammation that causes pain. During GAE, a
specialist guides a thin tube called a catheter to those vessels and places tiny particles to
reduce blood flow. This decreases inflammation in the knee joint and in the surrounding nerves.
Less inflammation means less pain, and patients go home the same day.
Who makes a good GAE candidate?
GAE tends to work best for people with mild to moderate arthritis who have lived with knee pain
for several months. Many good candidates have already tried physical therapy, pain medication,
or injections without lasting relief. GAE can also be a strong fit if you aren’t ready for knee
replacement, want to delay surgery, or have health conditions that make surgery risky.
When GAE may not be the best fit.
GAE isn’t the right fit for every knee. If your joint is severely damaged, a knee replacement may
give you better results over the long term. GAE is designed to treat arthritis pain, so it won’t help
with pain caused by a torn meniscus, a ligament injury, or other conditions. If you have an active
infection in or around the knee, it will need to clear up before treatment.
Getting ready for your consultation.
Your first visit is a conversation about your pain and your goals. It helps to bring recent X-rays or
MRIs, a list of treatments you’ve tried, and your current medications. Think about the activities
you miss most, whether that’s golf, gardening, or keeping up with your grandkids. Your doctor
will use all of this to tell you whether GAE makes sense for your knee.
Take the first step.
You don’t have to keep guessing about your options or accept knee pain as normal. The sooner
you get answers, the sooner you can start moving comfortably again. Contact Coastal Vascular
& Vein Center today at 843-577-4551 to find out if you’re a candidate for GAE. A more active,
comfortable life could be closer than you think.