
Before and After the Procedure and the Risks
Before the Procedure
Patients who take a blood thinning medication (warfarin, rivaroxaban, etc.) may need to stop taking it several days prior to the procedure. Discuss your medication with your prescribing doctor as well as the physician who will perform the injection.
The injection is usually an outpatient procedure performed in a fluoroscopy suite. Please make arrangements to have someone drive you to and from the office or outpatient treatment center.
After the Procedure
You may feel a sense of warmth or fullness in the affected leg. You may also feel some temporary numbness or weakness in the limb. You will be monitored for 15 to 30 minutes. You will be discharged when you are able walk without weakness. You cannot drive the day of the procedure. Do not swim or soak in a tub for 72 hours after the procedure.
Typically, patients resume full activity the next day. Soreness around the injection site may be relieved by using ice and taking a mild analgesic (Tylenol).
Procedure Risks
A nerve block injection is a relatively safe procedure with minimal risk of complications. Risks of a lumbar sympathetic block include bleeding, infection, allergic reaction, nerve damage, paralysis, a drop in blood pressure, anesthetic toxicity, hematuria (blood in the urine), numbness, weakness, and medication side effects.