If you’ve tried physical therapy, cortisone injections, bracing, and months of rest — and your Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow still isn’t better — you’re not out of options. You may just be missing the right one.
Elbow Embolization is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that targets the root cause of chronic elbow tendon pain: abnormal blood vessels that have formed inside the damaged tendon, keeping it inflamed and preventing it from healing.
At Premier Vascular in Macon, Georgia, our board-certified interventional specialists perform elbow embolization as an outpatient procedure. No hospital stay. No general anesthesia. No surgery.
Elbow embolization — also called transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) — is an image-guided procedure that reduces chronic elbow pain by blocking the abnormal blood vessels driving inflammation and nerve sensitivity inside a damaged tendon.
When tendons are repeatedly stressed or injured, the body responds by growing new, abnormal blood vessels into the affected tissue. These vessels aren’t just useless — they bring along pain-sensitive nerve fibers that keep firing long after the original injury occurred. This is why chronic Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow can persist for months or years despite rest and conservative treatment.
During embolization, a vascular specialist guides a thin catheter through a small needle entry point at the wrist, advances it to the elbow, and delivers a precise amount of embolic material into those abnormal vessels. Once blocked, the vessels and their associated nerve fibers are no longer active — inflammation calms, and the tendon can finally begin to heal.
The entire procedure takes approximately one hour. Patients go home the same day.
Tennis Elbow affects the outer part of the elbow, where the tendons connecting the forearm muscles attach to the bony bump on the outside of the arm (the lateral epicondyle). Pain is typically felt on the outer elbow and can radiate down the forearm.
Who gets it: Tennis players, but also office workers, painters, plumbers, cooks, carpenters — anyone who performs repetitive gripping or wrist extension.
Symptoms: Outer elbow pain, weak grip, pain when lifting even light objects, burning sensation along the outer forearm.
Golfer’s Elbow affects the inner part of the elbow, where the tendons that flex the wrist and fingers attach at the medial epicondyle.
Who gets it: Golfers, baseball pitchers, and anyone with repetitive gripping, throwing, or wrist-flexing activity — including many tradespeople and manual laborers.
Symptoms: Inner elbow pain, stiffness, weakness in the hand or wrist, numbness or tingling toward the ring and little fingers.
You may be a good candidate if:
Embolization is generally not the first step. It’s designed for patients whose pain has proven resistant to standard care — and who deserve a better answer than “keep waiting” or “let’s do surgery.”
Am I a Candidate? Talk to Our Team
Before the procedure:
You’ll have a consultation with one of our interventional specialists to review your imaging, symptoms, and treatment history. If embolization is appropriate, we’ll schedule the procedure and walk you through everything in advance.
Day of the procedure:
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia — you’ll be awake, comfortable, and free of pain at the access site. A small needle is placed at the wrist to access the radial artery. No incisions. No stitches.
During the procedure:
Using real-time imaging guidance, the specialist advances a thin catheter from the wrist to the affected area of the elbow. Once positioned, embolic material is delivered precisely into the abnormal vessels feeding the damaged tendon.
After the procedure:
You’ll rest briefly in our facility and then go home the same day. Most patients resume light daily activity the following day. Some mild soreness at the access site is normal and resolves quickly.
In the weeks that follow:
Pain reduction typically develops over 2 to 4 weeks as inflammation subsides and the tendon begins to heal. Many patients report significant improvement within the first month.
The reason chronic tendon pain is so hard to treat isn’t the tendon itself — it’s the abnormal vascular tissue that forms around it.
In healthy tissue, blood vessels deliver nutrients and remove waste. In chronic tendinopathy, a process called neovascularization drives abnormal vessel growth into the tendon. These new vessels are accompanied by unmyelinated sensory nerve fibers — the kind that transmit pain signals. This is why the pain becomes constant, disproportionate, and resistant to anti-inflammatory treatments: you’re no longer just dealing with inflammation. You’re dealing with new nerve pathways keeping the pain loop active.
Embolization interrupts that loop. By blocking the abnormal vessels, the procedure removes the structural foundation that those nerve fibers depend on. Published research in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology has demonstrated significant, durable improvements in pain scores, grip strength, and function — with a strong safety profile and no observed damage to surrounding bone, cartilage, or healthy tissue.
| Treatment | Invasiveness | Recovery | Addresses Neovascularization | Preserves Joint Anatomy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rest / Bracing | None | Weeks–months | No | Yes |
| Physical Therapy | None | Ongoing | No | Yes |
| Cortisone Injection | Minimal | Days | No | Yes |
| PRP Injection | Minimal | Weeks | Partial | Yes |
| Elbow Embolization | Minimally invasive | 1–2 days | Yes | Yes |
| Surgery | Invasive | Weeks–months | Varies | Altered |
The key distinction: Cortisone and other injections can temporarily reduce inflammation but don’t address the underlying neovascularization. Embolization treats the structural source of the problem — which is why it tends to produce more durable results in patients who’ve already failed other therapies.
Elbow embolization is a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure that treats chronic Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow by blocking the abnormal blood vessels that have formed inside the damaged tendon. Those vessels sustain inflammation and drive chronic pain — embolizing them allows the tendon to calm down and heal. The procedure takes about one hour and is performed as an outpatient under local anesthesia.
A cortisone injection delivers anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and pain temporarily. It does not address the abnormal blood vessel growth (neovascularization) that underlies chronic tendinopathy. Embolization physically blocks those vessels, removing the structural source of ongoing inflammation and nerve activity. This is why embolization tends to produce more lasting results in patients who have already failed injections.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, so you should not feel pain during it. Most patients report mild soreness at the wrist access site for a day or two afterward. Significant procedural pain is uncommon.
Most patients begin noticing improvement within 2 to 4 weeks. Full benefit often develops over 6 to 12 weeks as the tendon continues to heal after the abnormal vessel supply is removed.
Research published in peer-reviewed medical journals has demonstrated a strong safety profile for elbow embolization. Clinical studies have found no evidence of damage to surrounding bone, cartilage, ligaments, or healthy muscle tissue. As with any procedure, there are risks, which your specialist will review with you in detail during your consultation.
Generally, good candidates have had elbow pain for at least 3 months, have tried conservative treatments without lasting relief, and have tendon involvement confirmed on imaging. The best way to know is to schedule a consultation at Premier Vascular. Our team will review your history, imaging, and symptoms to determine if embolization is the right next step.
Yes. Premier Vascular is proud to offer elbow embolization right here in Macon, serving patients throughout Central and Middle Georgia — including Warner Robins, Dublin, Milledgeville, Valdosta, and surrounding communities. You don’t have to travel to Atlanta to access this level of interventional care.
Call 478-250-9785 today to schedule your UFE consultaton.
Serving patients across Macon and Central Georgia.
