Faq

Please STOP eating food SIX (6) hours prior to your scheduled procedure.  

You can drink small amounts of water or clear fluids (without pulp or creamer) up to 2 hours prior to the procedure.

You can take your regular medications with a sip of water the morning of the procedure. For patients who are taking blood thinners, please read question 4 below.

For your safety and the safety of those in our community, we require that you have a licensed driver take you home after the procedure.  

Your driver MUST stay at the procedure facility throughout the duration of your procedure.  If you are taking a taxi or other commercial transportation home, please have an adult friend or family member accompany you to the procedure center and ride home with you afterwards.

The pharmacy or the patient can contact NovaSpine Pain Institute at 623-777-4747.  An equivalent medication will be prescribed, when possible.  Please discuss all medications and changes with the pharmacist prior to starting a new medication. Sometimes equivalent medications are not available or covered. Please call your insurance company as it is important that they get your feedback. During your conversation with the insurance company please ask them to send you their most recent drug formulary and bring it to your next appointment.  If your medication is not covered, prior authorization for the medication can be obtained under special circumstances.  Keep in mind, many insurance companies have strict criteria that will determine whether or not your medication will be covered and completion of prior authorization paperwork often does not result in an approval.

Any refill of a Schedule II medication (Examples: Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Norco, Hydromorphone, Methadone, etc.) will require an office visit with a NovaSpine provider. Please be sure to schedule your appointments 5-7 days prior to running out of these medications or you may risk not obtaining your refill in time.

All other prescriptions written by NovaSpine providers can be refilled by calling 623-777-4747. Please follow the automated prompts for refills and leave a detailed message. Please provide the following information in any refill message:

• Your Name
• Your Phone Number
• Date of Birth
• Prescription Name and Strength
• Number of times you are taking the medication per day
• Pharmacy name and phone number

Please call at least 5-7 business days prior to your refill date. 

Unfortunately side effects are common and unpredictable. 

SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS: If your side effects are severe such as shortness of breath, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble swallowing, rash, or changes in your mental status, please discontinue your medication immediately and call 911 or go to the emergency room for immediate evaluation.

NON-URGENT SIDE EFFECTS: If your side effects are not urgent, please call 623-777-4747 and discuss your medication issue with one of our medical staff members.  Often when side effects are complex, atypical or difficult to describe, an office visit for evaluation may be required.

Please call 623-777-4747 to discuss your issue with one of our medical staff members.  For your safety, take your prescribed medications as instructed only.  Do not take additional pain pills without clear instructions from your provider.

Often any significant changes to schedule II medications (Examples: Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Morphine, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Norco, Hydromorphone, Methadone, etc.) will require an office visit. For any office visits that could result in a change in “pain medication”, please securely bring in your prescription bottle with all of the remaining pills.

Do not throw out your medications without clear instructions to do so from your NovaSpine provider.

There are risks associated with any procedure.  Our number one priority is your safety. Our doctors have years of training, experience and expertise – specializing in minimally invasive spine and arthritis procedures.

The most common risks described with minimally invasive procedures are bleeding, infection and nerve damage.  Complications are rare.  It is important to consider the potential benefits and the potential risks associated with any procedure prior to signing your consent form and undergoing the procedure.  Please ask your doctor or a clinical staff member if you have any specific concerns or questions.

Please download and read the procedure consent form carefully prior to completing the procedure. 

Please call 623-777-4747 for the Sun City and Sun City West location.

Gilbert Location – Ownership change for this location only effective 12/01/2023. Care and medical records custodianship were transferred to Desert Spine and Sports Physicians at: Phone: 602-840-0681 or Fax: 480-771-4400.

Any non-urgent new pain issue should be evaluated by a NovaSpine provider. Please call the office, at 623-777-4747, to schedule the next available appointment. In emergency situations, visit an emergency department or call 911 immediately.

Please show up 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.

• The procedure itself will take between 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
• However, the total time that you may be at the office for your procedure may be between 1 and 1.5 hours.
• This time includes pre-procedural evaluation (to have paperwork, consents and healthcare status updated), IV placement (if indicated) and evaluation by the anesthesia provider.
• Time for the procedure itself.
• Time for recovery and reassessment (to ensure safe departure).

This is not uncommon, but keep in mind it is temporary. Please refer to the discharge instructions given to you by during your procedure visit. If you have leg or arm weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, or begin to run a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, please go to the emergency room or call 911 for evaluation.

The amount of radiation that a patient is exposed to during a single procedure is minimal.  It has been suggested that a person receives the same amount of radiation during a procedure as you would on a airplane flight from Phoenix to New York City.

We consistently ask and test women patients of child-bearing age to determine whether or not they are pregnant.  For the safely of pregnant patients and their future babies, we do not perform x-ray procedures on pregnant patients.