Salt Lake City Physician Offers Alternative to Knee Replacement Surgery

MURRAY, Utah - Oct. 25, 2021 - PRLog -- Over 32 million adults in the U.S. suffer from osteoarthritis (OA) and many find themselves sidelined by debilitating knee pain. Until recently, options included pain medication, steroid injections, and knee replacement surgery.

A promising new minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization (GAE) is changing the way doctors look at treating OA of the knee. "When it comes to knees, inflammation is the culprit. It's what causing the pain and dysfunction," explains Dr. Ryan O'Hara, MD, of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CIC).   When the cartilage and synovium, the connective tissue that is inside the joint, is damaged by osteoarthritis, there is an increase of blood vessels and cytokines in the area, both of which cause inflammation. "If we can effectively reduce the inflammation, we can reduce the pain," he says.

While it's a new procedure, it's not a new technique. Artery embolization has been used throughout the body to treat conditions like tumors and enlarged prostates for years. This minimally invasive technique deals with the small vessels that supply blood to a specific area, in this case, the cartilage and synovium in the knee.

"Here's how GAE works, using image-guidance, we find the artery that brings blood to the knee. We then place a microscopic bead in the artery which decreases the flow of blood," explains O'Hara. "Restricting the blood flow decreases new blood vessel growth, which decreases the cytokine release and essentially breaks the cycle of inflammation and pain of arthritis."

A systematic review published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine reported, "The procedure resulted in significant and sustained pain improvement as well as better functional status in the studies reviewed."

The procedure is done in an office setting and patients go home the same day. "Recovery is easy on patients, no bed rest, no restrictions. They are back in their life the next day," says O'Hara. "I encourage anyone who hasn't gotten results from their current treatment and are not ready or able to have a knee replacement to learn more about GAE."

About Dr. O'Hara: Dr. Ryan O'Hara is an interventional radiologist who uses advanced technology and techniques to care for medical conditions that affect nearly every organ system in the body, including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), vein disease, prostate issues, and liver cancer. Visit www.utahcic.com or call 801-810-2999 to schedule an appointment or interview.