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Genicular Artery Embolization for Chronic Postoperative Knee Pain

Jul 28, 2021
When you are still experiencing knee pain following a replacement, Southern Pain has innovative treatment options to get this pain under control.

Southern Pain & Regenerative Medicine performed a new procedure for a patient that has had 2 knee replacements and one revision of the right knee.  Despite the knee replacements and revision the patient continued to have severe pain in the right knee.

Previously he had undergone a genicular nerve ablation which provided minimal relief.  This treatment also can be very effective for chronic knee pain, including those with degenerative changes.This is a targeted treatment utilizing radiofrequency waves to heat and damage the sensory nerves to the knee causing them to no longer function and provide significant relief.

The patient had significant warmth involving the lateral aspect of the right knee.  This was fairly dramatic compared to the left knee.  The warmth is caused by abnormally increased blood flow in this region.

A procedure similar to a cardiac catheterization was performed.  This demonstrated the abnormal increased blood flow involving the outside of the patient's right knee.  It is now known that this increased blood flow is associated with chronic increased pain.  Utilizing a small tube and special beads the small blood vessels were occluded.

The patient reported 50% relief 2 weeks after the procedure.  This continues to improve.

Another innovative treatment by Southern Pain to provide long-term relief for chronic knee pain, often seen in patients previously undergoing knee replacement!