This procedure uses your own blood to fix a hole in the membrane around your spinal cord. The hole lets spinal fluid leak out, which causes severe headaches. By patching the hole, we stop the leak.
To begin, we give you medicine to make you feel relaxed. We give you an injection of medicine to numb the skin and tissue of your back. With the help of image guidance, we carefully insert a needle near the hole in the membrane. Then we move the needle into the epidural space (that's the space around your spinal cord).
Now, we get some blood from a vein in your arm. We slowly inject this blood into the epidural space. As the blood enters the epidural space, it forms a clot. This seals the hole in the membrane, stopping the leak.
When it's done, we bandage your skin. We watch you closely for a brief time, then you can go home. Follow your care plan for a safe recovery.