• You must be here at The Pain Treatment Center approximately 30 minutes before your procedure.
• Please notify us if you are pregnant or if you may be pregnant.
• Unless otherwise instructed, please eat a light breakfast (cereal, toast, fruit). NO bacon, eggs or hamburgers. You may drink clear liquids (water, tea, coffee, apple, or cranberry juice) up until 2-3 hours before your procedure. NO milk.
• Bring a list of your medications to The Pain Treatment Center when you come for your appointment.
• Take all your high blood pressure and heart medications with a sip of water as scheduled.
• Diabetics
  • Take your regular oral antidiabetic pills the morning of your procedure, except Glucophage, which must be stopped the night before your procedure. Eat a light breakfast. Bring a snack to The Pain Treatment Center.
  • Take half your normal insulin dose the morning of your procedure. Eat a light breakfast before coming to The Pain Treatment Center. Bring a snack and your insulin with you.
• Blood Thinners
  • Patients who are taking Coumadin are at special risk for severe bleeding during their procedures. Normally, your pain management doctor will stop your Coumadin three days prior to any procedure. However, you must always talk with your doctor about stopping the drug, and never stop your Coumadin without talking with your doctor first. Please tell him/her if you are taking Coumadin.
• Anti-inflammatory Medications
  • Taking anti-inflammatory medicines may cause increased bleeding during some procedures. Aspirin is the worst offender. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to take aspirin daily, you must stop taking aspirin seven days before your procedure. Please ask your doctor about your aspirin.
  • All of your other anti-inflammatory medications must be stopped three days before your procedure.
• Do not wear jewelry or bring valuables with you to The Pain Treatment Center.
• Remember to wear comfortable clothing. Wear flat shoes.
• Because you may receive sedation during the procedure, it will be necessary for a responsible adult of your choice to accompany you when you leave The Pain Treatment Center. You may not drive yourself home.
• Notify your family physician of any changes in your physical condition, such as a cold or sore throat.
• Remember to bring your insurance card(s) with any payments and/or agreements previously made.
• Please call The Pain Treatment Center physicians or nurses at (859) 278-1316 (ext.213 or 246) should you have any questions.

You will not receive general anesthesia (be put to sleep) for any procedure at The Pain Treatment Center. It is important for you to remain awake with the ability to talk with us during the procedures. This allows us to perform the procedures with maximum safety and with less risk to you. For most of our procedures, we do provide some level of conscious sedation in which you may receive an appropriate level of sedation with intravenous medications, at the discretion of your doctor. There is some risk to receiving conscious sedation. The risk goes up as the amount of sedation is increased. Side effects/complications from sedation are usually minimal but may include:

• Impaired judgment – If you drive a vehicle within 24 hours of conscious sedation, you will be driving under the influence.
• Impaired memory – Even though you are awake and talking, you may not remember what you are told. Do not make any business decisions within 24 hours of receiving conscious sedation.
• Rarely, the medication may decrease your breathing and could cause your breathing to stop.
• Some sedative medications may depress your heart rate and could cause your heart to stop beating.
• Some combinations of sedative medications can cause seizures if given in higher doses.
• Deeper levels of sedation may cause you to lose your gag reflex, which could result in an aspiration pneumonia.
• Allergic reactions to any medications may cause your heart and breathing to stop or to cause death.