You will not be able to have any food or drink after midnight the night before the procedure. If you are taking any medications, be sure to discuss this with the interventional radiologist prior to the procedure.

You will arrive at the hospital and register the morning of your procedure. Then you will receive an IV of fluids and a dose of antibiotics to prevent infection. A catheter is inserted into your bladder and must remain in place for few hours after the procedure.

If you have decided on an epidural or spinal anesthetic, an anesthesiologist will administer this and monitor you both during and after the procedure. To prepare you for the actual procedure, a nurse will shave and clean a small area of your groin and will then cover you with sterile drapes. The radiologist will give you a local anesthetic through a tiny needle, which may cause a slight stinging or burning feeling for a few seconds. The procedure will then be performed by the interventional radiologist who will be assisted by a scrub tech or nurse and a radiologic technologist.