Pre-prodedural General Instructions:

Have a driver whom you know personally bring you and pick you up at the surgery center you’re scheduled at. If you are taking a cab, you still need to bring someone to accompany you after the procedure. The cab driver is not considered a companion. You cannot drive the day of your procedure.

Have nothing to eat or drink for four hours before the procedure except sips of water needed to take routine required medications.

Allow 2 - 3 hours for checkin, evaluation, procedure and recovery.
You will need to followup with your referring physician regarding continued management of your condition.

If you are on antibiotics please notify our office, we may wait to do the procedure. If you have an active infection or fever, we will need to reschedule the procedure.

Please bring a list of your current medications.

If you are taking a Medrol Dose Pak or oral steroids (prednisone) please contact our office as we may ask you to stop these medications if you are receiving a cortisone injection

Please bring all MRI’s, CT scans, CT/myelograms, and bone (SPECT) scans of the area that we are treating. This is your responsibility. Bring a report and not just the actual films/CDs . The physician will use these reports / films to decide how to perform your particular injection.

If you are an insulin dependent diabetic contact your diabetic doctor regarding possible medication changes the day of and several days after your procedure.

If you are having a cervical (neck) procedure, do not wear any jewelry on the ears or neck.

Let us know if you have a known allergy or severe sideeffects to xray dye (contrast agents), latex, cortisone or anesthetics.

If you are having a diagnostic medial branch block (MBB) or nerve root block (NRB) you need to have enough pain the day of the procedure to be able to easily tell if the injection removes your typical pain. If you are not having enough pain that day, the procedure may need to be rescheduled.

If there is any chance you are pregnant then we cannot perform an xray guided injection.

Let us know if you are a nursing mother. If you receive IV sedation you will need to modify your nursing schedule that day.

In most cases plan to be off work the day of your injection.

If you have any questions or need to reschedule, please call (718) 479 3900 .

Pre-prodedural Medication Instructions