Every fourth person suffers from leg pain, which can occur when moving, exercising or even resting. Particularly unpleasant is persistent, chronic pain, which in the long run not only worsens the quality of life, but also contributes to social exclusion – avoiding pain limits normal physical activity and everyday, social habits.
Most often, pain in the legs is felt in the knee area. The knee joint is subjected to a lot of stress on a daily basis, so it is not surprising that about 25% of the population is exposed to knee pain. In the usual treatment of this ailment, pain medications, physiotherapeutic activities or injections into the joint are prescribed. Unfortunately, for some patients, these measures are not effective, and complex surgical surgery on the knee joint is not always the right or preferred option.
In such cases, a modern interventional radiology procedure – embolization – can reduce chronic inflammation and pain in the knee area. With the help of a special catheter, the doctor can reach the small networks of blood vessels and reduce the blood flow that feeds the areas of the tissues affected by inflammation. Purposeful exposure to the tissues causing pain in the blood circulation reduces long-term pain, improves the quality of life, and does not require complex rehabilitation.
In order to share knowledge about the treatment of minimally invasive knee pain in the Baltic States, training was organized at LSMU Kaunas Clinics for doctors of Pauls Stradinš University and Daugavpils Hospitals who came from Latvia. The theoretical part of the training took place at the Radiology Diagnostic Centre of Kaunas Clinics, and the practical procedures – at the Interventional Radiology Angiography Operating Room. The training was conducted by radiologist Dr. Andrius Pranculis, an expert in minimally invasive endovascular procedures.
During the training, patient selection options, indications and contraindications, possible complications and technical nuances of the procedure were discussed. Live demonstration cases allowed doctors from Latvia to see how modern treatment solutions are applied in the operating room. The training has strengthened the international cooperation between Lithuanian and Latvian doctors and will help patients in Latvia to receive safe, minimally invasive and restorative treatment that restores freedom of movement.
