These are the questions our team hears most often from patients in Southfield, Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Farmington Hills.

What is genicular artery embolization?

GAE reduces blood flow to the inflamed lining of an arthritic knee. An interventional radiologist guides a thin catheter to the genicular arteries feeding that inflamed tissue and places tiny particles to slow the flow.

Less blood flow to that tissue may mean less inflammation, and less inflammation may mean less pain. Nothing is cut open, and no part of the joint is removed or replaced.

Who is a candidate for genicular artery embolization in Southfield?

Candidacy is decided case by case, after imaging and an in-person evaluation. Patients who ask about it most often have several things in common:

• Knee pain from osteoarthritis lasting six months or longer
• Limited or short-lived relief from cortisone or gel injections
• A wish to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery
• Health conditions that make a major operation riskier
• Pain that interferes with walking, stairs, or sleep

Only a physician can tell you whether the procedure fits your knee. It helps to review our nonsurgical knee treatment options before your visit.

How is GAE different from knee replacement surgery?

Knee replacement removes damaged bone and cartilage and resurfaces the joint with implants. It is a major operation involving anesthesia, a hospital stay, and months of rehabilitation.

Embolization works from inside the blood vessels instead. It is typically an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia and light sedation, with no hardware placed in the joint.

What actually happens during the procedure?

You stay awake but relaxed. The physician numbs a small area, usually at the wrist or upper thigh, then uses live X-ray imaging to guide the catheter to the small arteries around the knee.

Most procedures take roughly one to two hours. There is no surgical incision to stitch closed, and an overnight stay is not typical.

How long does recovery take?

Most patients go home the same day and are asked to keep activity light for a short period afterward. Mild soreness or bruising at the access site is common.

Relief is not instant. Changes in pain often develop gradually over several weeks as inflammation settles, and results vary from person to person.

Is it worth asking about if injections already failed?

Often yes, and that is exactly the situation many callers are in. Injections act on the joint itself, while embolization targets the blood supply feeding the inflammation.

Bring your imaging and a list of everything you have already tried. It makes the evaluation faster and far more useful.

Where is this available near Southfield, Michigan?

Our Michigan office sits at 25130 Southfield Road, Suite 120, in Southfield. That puts it within a short drive of Royal Oak, Oak Park, Farmington Hills, Troy, and northwest Detroit, with details on our Michigan location page.

Hearing from other patients helps too. Our patient testimonials describe what the experience has been like for people with similar knees.

To find out whether you are a candidate, call 877-7-MY-KNEE or visit our Contact page to schedule an evaluation.

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