What to Expect Before, During, and After Your Stellate Ganglion Block Procedure. 

Our team is fully prepared for these potential complications. All providers have ACLS certification and acute care / emergency medicine board certifications and have all medical supplies and capabilities to manage airways and blood pressures if ever needed. However, with the live ultrasound guidance of our MSKUS expert - who trains doctors and anesthesiologists internationally on the ultrasound guided diagnostics and interventions - we dramatically reduce the risk of such complications by having live-time, '10th of a millimeter' precision on the needle placement directly to the stellate ganglion for each and every individual we treat.

All the research has been done starting with the right side, so that is by protocol what we follow. There are occasionally times that an individual provider-patient consultation may help the provider decide to start with the left side, for example, if the patient's chronic left-sided neck/arm pain is a major issue in their life, then the left side may be the first side addressed.

Darn it. I talked my Canadian doctor into doing mine. He has never done this for ptsd. We did the left side. My eye dropped and all that stuff, but I didn’t feel immidietly different.

@@DevinSheaProductions it may not hurt to try the right side now, if you could!

We are so glad you found a way to get the SGB and that it was so effective for you. Your experience may help someone else out there, thanks for sharing.

Anthem BC/BS covered mine in CT

I am in Kelowna BC Canada. Was it completely covered? Where did you get it done? I have complex ptsd. and need relief. Thank you for any info you can share.

Plz share your experience after got SGB done. How are you feeling now and how much changes you feel now.

Wawa Guigi each patient case would be discussed in a consultation with a medical provider, but high blood pressure and history of stroke do not disqualify them.

We would advise you schedule a complimentary intro phone consult with our providers to answer your medical questions more completely. 858-609-0866 or info@joywellnesspartners.com

Oh no, we're sorry that the other person experienced those negative symptoms. We agree that it's best to do your research and consult with either our providers or your PCP beforehand. We wish everyone luck as well.

yes, the block can help with any anxieties, although there is a temporary timeframe after the block when there is a sensation of difficulty swallowing, so it would be advised to speak to your SGB provider beforehand to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to reduce the post-procedure side effects and keep calm during the post-injection recovery.

That is a very good question to discuss in more detail in a consultation with your medical provider or with one of our providers.

Before it was used for PTSD, Dr. Lipov found it effective for menopausal symptoms. We use a personalized approach to hormone imbalance, and it can be discussed with you at an intro phone consultation. Yes it can help with reducing cravings and it can be a part of a smoking cessation plan, and there are other strategies that can help as well.

please excuse the delayed reply. it's a possibility, as it has shown in published studies the ability to reduce anxiety, according to the GAD-7 scale, so it could reduce the sequelae of effects that stem from anxiety.

yes. high resolution ultrasound.

We do know a lot of trigeminal neuralgia patients; often referred to us from rheumatology offices as well as the general community. The treatment we usually do for them is called hydrodissection of the trigeminal nerve, but there is efficacy in doing the SGB as well.

That’s a great question. We have performed the procedure on patients who are deaf in one ear, and it has gone well. We have a little whiteboard on which the patient can write anything that they want to communicate, but it may be helpful to have an interpreter if that person could bring a friend who could speak English as well as drive the patient home after the procedure. Does that answer your question?

It does help with the ability to tolerate the tinnitus.

sorry for the delay. this is not the same answer for everyone. it does seem to last for years once the relief has set in, although it may take one or two blocks or perhaps more for the person to experience that true relief. we have it can be quite long-lasting; based on the 1000+ patients we've treated, most have experienced relief at least longer than a year.

yes, like any anesthetic, it wears off, and in this case, it's approximately 6 hours til the facial droop goes away.

The complications have been reported at less than 1%.

@@joywellnesspartners if i may ask one more question Are those complications fatal or cause permanent disability of any kind. I have an sgb scheduled for the 16th and want to be well informed

@@trevmint5615 No, none of permanent disability. It is important to speak with your healthcare provider before your procedure about all the possible complications that can happen, so you are well-informed. Often this is sent to you by email before your procedure. Sometimes you can speak with the staff in advance to know what to expect.