Day of Your Procedure

1. Check in at Spine and Pain Management before coming to C-Arm Suite waiting area.
2. Please only bring one person (driver) with you if possible due to limited seating. YOU MUST BRING A DRIVER WITH YOU. This person must remain in the waiting room for you until the procedure is completed. This person must be able to drive you home and must be able to give you some assistance. This is necessary for your safety as well as others. If you present for the appointment without a driver, the appointment will be rescheduled.
3. Only one person will be allowed to sit with you in the recovery area.
4. We advise you to take your blood pressure, heart, diabetes, and prescribed pain medications the day of the procedure.  (Stopping your routine medications as well as your prescribed pain medications can cause you to experience adverse symptoms).
5. You may bathe/shower before your procedure.
6. You may eat a light meal before your procedure.
7. Wear something loose fitting and warm that you won’t mind getting ruined. Betadine is difficult to get out of clothing. The procedure room is kept cool and warm clothes are a must if you easily get cold.
8. Do not wear fingernail polish. This obstructs the pulse oximetry clip that monitors your breathing and level of oxygen in your system.
9. Some procedures take a very short time and some take longer. When we have two doctors in the procedure area there will be a double patient load. When this happens please be prepared to have a longer wait time. Your patience will be most appreciated.

Things to expect

• You will be asked a series of questions and be asked to sign several papers and/or consent forms.
• You may leave your cell phones, purses, wallets with your driver.
• A small IV will be placed in your hand or arm for emergency purposes.
• You will be asked to either remove your shirt and change into a gown or undo your pants and lie on your abdomen on a table.
• Several patches and wires will be placed on your back to monitor your heart rate.
• If you are having a discogram, your doctor may require a cat-scan after your discogram is complete.
• If you are having a Radiofrequency Ablation, we will raise your pants leg to place a pad on your calf that plugs into a machine. You may wish to wear shorts.
• A small clip with infrared light will be placed on your finger to monitor your breathing and the level of oxygen in your blood.
• The doctor will clean/sterilize an area on you, which may feel cold. You will then feel an injection with a small needle into your skin to numb the area.
• A combination of medications with an anesthetic will then be placed into the numbed area.
• After the procedure, you will need to remain on the recovery stretcher 15-20 minutes depending on your type of procedure.
• You could feel dizzy or unsteady when you stand up. This is normal. Take your time by rising slowly from a seated or lying position.
• After you arrive home you can have numbness in one of your legs that you may or may not be aware of. This is normal. Be careful getting out of the vehicle and make sure you can stand up before putting all of your weight on your legs.
• When you get home, if you had a cortisone injection (epidural) your doctor would prefer you to lie flat on your back for 6 hours. If you cannot possibly do this then a recliner leaned all the way back is recommended. Try not to lie on your sides too often. Remember, cortisone is a liquid and it will travel to gravity.
• If you need to shower/bathe, this is ok. You must not run or soak with hot water over the injection site-this can cause unnecessary bleeding and later, pain.
• If you have had a cortisone injection, you are asked to ice the area 20 minutes out of each hour for 6 hours, then 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off as needed for 1-2 days. Any excessive time of icing can cause freezing of the blood in the back. This can cause permanent scarring.
• For a Medial branch block, you are asked to go home and do normal activity. You will chart on a paper the office gives you how much relief you are feeling. You will bring this paper back with you to your next visit. If you do not receive relief the day of your procedure, you need to call the office to confirm that proceeding to the next step is appropriate. This procedure is a prelude to a Radiofrequency Ablation.
• After any procedure, you are asked to take it easy over the next couple of days. You may need to be out of work the next day. If you need a work note or release, please ask one of the healthcare professionals and they will be glad to provide you with one.

IF YOU HAVE SEVERE PAIN OR EXPERIENCE ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS, CALL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY AT

762-235-3550 THEN PRESS OPTION #2

550 REDMOND ROAD NW ROME, GA 30165