Procedure & Treatment Library

Epidural Injection

What is an Epidural?

Prior to the Procedure

Epidural injection
Image by BruceBlaus. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762. (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What Will Happen?

  1. You will be admitted to the day surgery by a nurse and you will be asked to change into a gown.
  2. The anaesthetist will speak with you and place a cannula (plastic needle) into a vein in your hand.
  3. In the procedure room, you will be assisted to position on the procedure table lying on your abdomen with a pillow under your hips and abdomen.
  4. The anaesthetist will give you some sedation into your vein. Some fluids may be administered via your cannula.
  5. An X-ray machine will be used to determine where the doctor will place the needle for your procedure.
  6. Local anaesthetic will be injected into your back to minimise the discomfort felt when the spinal needle is inserted.
  7. The local anaesthetic and steroid will be injected once correct placement has been established with use of X-ray (Omnipaque).
  8. The procedure will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
  9. After the procedure, you will be placed on a trolley and taken to recovery, where you will remain for approximately 1 hour.
  10. After having something to eat and drink, you will be discharged with a carer.

Post Procedure

If you require further explanation of the procedure, please contact Hunter Pain Specialists nursing staff on (02) 4985 1800.

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