Knee osteoarthritis
Ongoing knee pain from arthritis that has not improved with conservative care. See our Advanced Knee Pain Center.
Joint pain that won't quit? Let's talk.
If pills, injections or physical therapy haven't helped, our vascular specialists can evaluate whether a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure may be right for you. Se habla español.
- Minimally invasive options
- Outpatient care, no hospital stay
- Insurance checked before your visit
- Se habla español
GAEGenicular artery embolization
Why it matters
Care for joint, tendon and circulation problems
Advanced Joint Pain & Vascular Center, a division of Heart Vascular & Leg Center, offers consultations and follow-up visits for persistent joint and tendon pain in the knee, hip, shoulder, hand and heel. We also see patients for circulation, vein and wound concerns.
Your first visit is a screening to understand your pain and talk through your options, from conservative care to image-guided procedures such as genicular artery embolization (GAE). You do not need to know the name of a procedure to begin. Tell us what pain is keeping you from doing, and we will help you understand the next step.
Our specialty centers
Find care for the area that hurts
Each center focuses on one part of the body, with the same team, location and approach.
Advanced Knee Pain Center
Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive, image-guided option for selected people with knee osteoarthritis pain. A screening visit helps decide whether it fits your diagnosis and goals.
Visit the center →Advanced Hip Pain Center
For selected people with arthritis-related hip pain, our team evaluates whether transcatheter arterial microembolization (TAME) may be an option alongside conservative care.
Visit the center →Advanced Shoulder Pain Center
For frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tendon problems and shoulder arthritis that haven't improved with therapy or injections, our team evaluates whether TAME may be an option.
Visit the center →Advanced Hand Pain Center
For hand, thumb and wrist arthritis pain that hasn't responded to splints, therapy or medicine, our team evaluates whether TAME may be an option.
Visit the center →Advanced Foot & Ankle Pain Center
Persistent plantar fasciitis and ankle arthritis pain may be worth a closer look. Ask about our evaluation for plantar fascia embolization (PFE), an emerging option for selected patients.
Visit the center →Advanced Elbow Pain Center
Tennis elbow and other long-lasting tendon pain usually improve with standard care. For pain that won't improve, our team can talk through your options, including emerging ones.
Visit the center →Advanced Back Pain Center
Back problems can cause pain in the hip, leg or knee. Our team evaluates long-lasting lower back pain and sciatica and talks through options that fit you.
Visit the center →Advanced Vascular Center
Leg pain when you walk, swelling, varicose veins or a possible blood clot? Our team finds the cause with simple tests and treats many problems with minimally invasive, outpatient procedures.
Visit the center →Advanced Foot Wound Care Center
A foot or leg sore that isn't healing may need a circulation check, not just a new dressing. Our team tests blood flow, treats blockages and provides wound care.
Visit the center →Advanced Hemorrhoid Center
Hemorrhoidal artery embolization (HAE) reduces blood supply to internal hemorrhoids and may help selected patients, particularly those with bleeding.
Visit the center →Common symptoms
Does this sound familiar?
If any of these keep you from the things you enjoy, a visit can help find the cause and the options that fit you.
- Joint pain lasting 3 months or more
- Pain that pills, shots or therapy haven't fixed
- Stiffness, swelling or warmth in a joint
- Sharp heel pain with your first steps
- Leg pain when you walk
- A foot or leg sore that won't heal
Conditions we treat
Conditions we evaluate and treat
Hip arthritis pain
Pain in the groin, thigh or buttock, often worse with walking, in people not ready for or not able to have hip replacement.
Shoulder pain and frozen shoulder
Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tendon problems and shoulder arthritis that cause night pain and limit reaching.
Hand and thumb arthritis
Pain, swelling and trouble gripping from arthritis in the finger joints or at the base of the thumb.
Heel pain (plantar fasciitis)
Irritation of the thick band under the foot, with sharp heel pain in the morning, that has not improved with standard care.
Circulation and vein problems
Leg pain when walking, leg swelling and varicose veins, evaluated with testing through Heart Vascular & Leg Center.
Wounds that won't heal
Foot and leg sores that may need a circulation check, not just a new dressing.
Internal hemorrhoids
Evaluation for selected patients, particularly those with bleeding, for hemorrhoidal artery embolization (HAE).
Treatments
Treatment options
Every plan starts with an evaluation. Your provider reviews your history, imaging and the treatments you have tried, then explains which options may fit.
TreatmentJoint pain consultation and conservative care
Evaluation of persistent joint pain, including a review of your imaging and the treatments you have tried. Most plans start with the simplest options, such as self-care, physical therapy, medicine and injections, and we offer joint injections including PRP.
- Your plan is built around your goals
- Exercise and self-care are the base of every plan
- Other treatments build on this base; they don't replace it
Who it may help: Anyone with persistent knee, hip, shoulder, hand or heel pain.
TreatmentGAE
Genicular artery embolization
A minimally invasive, image-guided option for selected patients with knee osteoarthritis pain that has not improved with conservative care. A thin catheter and X-ray guidance are used to reduce blood flow to abnormal small vessels around the inflamed knee lining.
- Outpatient; most people go home the same day
- No incision, just a small puncture
- Does not replace the joint or regrow cartilage
- Results vary
Who it may help: Adults with knee osteoarthritis pain for 3 months or more despite medicine, therapy or injections.
TreatmentTAME
Transcatheter arterial microembolization
Uses the same approach as GAE to target abnormal vessels linked to selected chronic inflammatory conditions of the hip, shoulder and hand. The evidence differs by condition and is still developing.
- Outpatient, through a small wrist or groin puncture
- Research is at an earlier stage than for the knee
- Your specialist reviews benefits, risks and alternatives
Who it may help: Selected patients with persistent hip, shoulder or hand pain that other treatments haven't helped enough.
TreatmentPFE
Plantar fascia embolization
An emerging option for selected patients with persistent plantar fasciitis heel pain despite standard care. Tiny particles reduce blood flow to the inflamed tissue near the heel.
- Considered after 6 months or more of heel pain
- Early studies have been small
- Most plantar fasciitis improves with standard care
Who it may help: People with long-lasting heel pain who have tried stretching, shoe inserts, therapy or injections.
TreatmentPNS
Peripheral nerve stimulation
A small device delivers mild electrical impulses near a targeted nerve to help manage certain types of persistent pain. Unlike embolization, it changes pain signaling rather than treating blood vessels.
- Not an embolization procedure
- Suitability depends on the source and pattern of your pain
Who it may help: Selected people with certain types of persistent pain, after an evaluation.
Find out which options fit you
Our team checks your insurance before your visit.
What to expect
From first visit to follow-up
Screening visit
We review your history, examine your painful joint or area and look at your imaging.
An honest recommendation
We explain every option, including benefits, risks and alternatives. If a procedure isn't a good fit, we'll tell you and suggest next steps.
Outpatient treatment
If you're a candidate, the procedure is done through a tiny catheter entry point at our main center, and you go home the same day.
Follow-up
We check in after treatment and track how you're doing, at your nearest location when possible.
Our team
Led by experienced physicians
Chief Medical Officer
Vinod Kumar, MD, FACC, RPVI
Dr. Kumar is a board-certified cardiologist and vascular specialist who leads the Heart Vascular & Leg Center and Advanced Joint Pain & Vascular Center team. He treats arterial and venous disease, nonhealing wounds and joint pain with minimally invasive, image-guided techniques, and trained in joint embolization in Tokyo with Dr. Yuji Okuno.
Serving Kern County since 1992Part of Heart Vascular & Leg Center.
Minimally invasive careImage-guided options, done as outpatient procedures.
Insurance checked firstWe verify coverage and referrals before your visit.
Se habla españolOur team speaks English and Spanish.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is joint embolization?
Arthritis and other chronic joint conditions can bring extra blood vessels and inflammation to the tissue around a joint. Embolization uses a thin catheter and X-ray guidance to reduce blood flow to those inflamed areas. In the knee, it's called genicular artery embolization (GAE). Research is ongoing, results vary, and like any procedure it has risks.
Do I need to know which procedure I want?
No. You do not need to choose a procedure before asking for help. Start with a conversation. We will discuss your concerns, review your options and help you understand the next step.
Where are procedures done?
Procedures are performed at our main Heart Vascular & Leg Center office. Our other offices provide consultations and follow-up visits. Your care team will confirm the location for each appointment.
What should I bring to my first visit?
Bring your medication list, insurance card, any recent X-rays or MRI reports, and a short list of treatments you have already tried. Write down the activity you most want to get back to.
Will my insurance cover it?
Coverage for joint embolization varies, and some plans consider it still being studied. Before your visit, our team verifies your coverage, referral requirements and any expected costs. We accept Medicare and many other plans, but plan acceptance does not mean every procedure is covered.
Do you have Spanish-speaking staff?
Yes. Se habla español.
Locations
Find a location near you
Enter your ZIP code or city to see our offices sorted by distance. Procedures are done at our main center; our other offices see patients for consultations and follow-up visits.
Visit us
- Call for an appointment
- (661) 324-4100
- Locations
- 8 offices across Central and Southern California. Find the one nearest you
- Main website
- heartandleg.com