FAQs
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma. Symptoms usually last more than a month and may affect everyday life. They generally fall into four categories:
1. Intrusive Symptoms: upsetting memories, flashbacks, or nightmares.
2. Avoidance Symptoms: avoiding reminders of the trauma, or feeling emotionally detached.
3. Negative Mood and Thinking: sadness, guilt, shame, or difficulty enjoying life.
4. Hyperarousal: feeling on edge, easily startled, irritability or poor sleep.
If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, you can take our short symptoms survey below (results will be emailed to you). It will quantify your symptoms severity and give you a score out of 80 - it’s not a diagnosis, its a screening result that should prompt further clinical evaluation.
What do these scores indicate?
--> 31–33 or higher: Often considered the threshold for probable PTSD in general populations.
--> 40 or higher: Commonly used in specialty clinics, military, or trauma-focused samples where symptom severity tends to be higher.
→ A score of 40 indicates moderate to severe symptoms consistent with PTSD.
The Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR) is a refined version of the stellate ganglion block procedure, usually known as the SGB. The DSR-SGB procedure consist of two injections of a local anaesthetic on the one side of the neck, targeting the the stellate ganglion nerve bundle. This bundle of nerves located at C4 and C6 approximately is the "highway" connection to the amygdala in the brain.
The amygdala is crucial for processing emotions, particularly fear and anxiety, and plays a key role in attaching emotional significance to memories. It helps trigger the body's fight-or flight response, regulates aggression, and is involved in decision-making and social cognition. It also helps form emotional memories and link incoming sensory information to these emotions.
A person with Post-Traumatic Stress symptoms has a system that is unfortunately stuck in that "fight and flight". When the nerve bundle is injected with local anaesthetic, it numbs the nerve bundle temporarily and this sympathetic nervous system interaction helps restore normal psychological function. It is a "reset" of a system that is stuck in "fight o flight".
BOOK A FREE CALL! Once you've had an initial free call with us, we will advise if you are a potential candidate.
The next step is to schedule a TELEHEALTH consultation with our mental health nurse practitioner to assess your symptoms, medical history, and previous /current treatments. SGB-DSR may be suitable if anxiety, PTSD, or trauma-related symptoms have not fully responded to conventional therapies.
From there, we can discuss moving forward with the procedure and referral requirements. We will coordinate this with the suitable facility and Stella provider.
Our Stella clients are asked to complete questionnaires before and after the treatment to assess any clinical significant change in the symptoms.
We use validated measures to gauge your symptoms. These measures may include the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) for symptoms of PTSD/ emotional trauma, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, and the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Stella’s Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR) procedure has helped patients with both single-incident and long-term, complex trauma as well as Anxiety. Many of our patients have experienced multiple traumas over their lifetime, including early childhood trauma, military service, or first responder roles.
We have also helped clients who have been diagnosed with C-PTSD.
Access the research specifically on anxiety via this article here.
Research shows that DSR-SGB can improve symptoms regardless of when or how trauma occurred. While individual results vary, many patients report meaningful relief and better quality of life after treatment. Stella’s treated cohort is illustrated in this table below. The graph below is a good representation of the various Trauma types, read the publication via this link.
Efficacy-of-Right-Sided-Cervical-Sympathetic-Block-in-Treating-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Australian-Cohorts-A-Retrospective-Analysis published in the Research and Practice in Anesthesiology. Paul Verrills, Eugene Lipov, Robert Wright, Zubin Sethi - September 25th 2023
The procedure is relatively quick. It takes approximately 30 minutes when the procedure is performed under sedation in an operating theatre environment.
You will be in the recovery ward for approximately 1 -1.5 hours when you have been sedated.
When conducted under CT guidance, an un-sedated procedure may take as little as 20 minutes. Your recovery time before discharge is shorter (approx.45 min)
Each human body is unique, and each person's experience of trauma is distinct.
The duration of SGB's effectiveness varies between one person to the next - similar to any other medication or interventional treatments, some people need more, some need less to achieve a positive outcome.
Some may find the need for a "top-up" or a repeat treatment down the track, particularly when exposed to stressful environments that can trigger symptoms, necessitating ongoing care to address evolving needs.
The DSM-5 diagnostic manual outlines a staggering 636,000 possible combinations of symptoms leading to a PTSD diagnosis - this demonstrates that patients can manifest a wide array of symptoms. Factors such as age, gender, genetics, and the duration of symptom manifestation further contribute to the diverse presentation of trauma-related conditions in individuals.
Our Melbourne HQ facility at Monash House Private Hospital is able to offer the option of an un-sedated procedure or in-theatre, sedated procedure.
Other Stella providers (for example in Sydney or Brisbane), offer only Sedated procedures. This means its a hospital admission (hospital fees applies). With Sedation, there will be a sedation fee directly billed by the the anaesthetist.
FASTING: You need to fast 6 hours prior to admission time allocated. No food, coffee, chewing gum or cigarettes. You will need an escort at discharge.
It's important to discuss these option and what it means for you during your consultation with our care team.
A referral is required for the procedure. To be booked for a procedure there are 3 options: A referral from your GP or mental health provider (psychiatrist) OR Our Mental Health Nurse Practitioner CAN also refer to some of our Stella providers/locations.
FIRST STEP: have a chat to us! an initial call is important to determine the appropriate specialists and the referral requirements.
GETTING STARTED IS EASY!!
Schedule your free call via our website or email: cares@stellacentre.com.au. We will share information suited to your situation.
It typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to conduct initial eligibility and to complete the treatment.
Stella providers: Our medical practitioners are typically specialists, either in pain management or interventional radiology. Stella Centre specialists will only ever do this procedure with image guidance.
Image guidance: There are three types of imaging techniques that doctors will utilise to perform your SGB procedure. In Australia, our medical practitioners use predominantly CT or Fluoroscopy (X-Ray). Sometimes, ultrasound is used.
Absolutely! Studies have already shown promising results in reducing PTSD symptoms especially when first line and second line treatments have failed to improve a patient's quality of life. We can share the those scientific publications upon discussion.
Dr Eugene Lipov's website also contains extensive presentations and the latest research.
We currently work with the private specialists and their existing facilities, who operate from Private Hospitals around Australia.
When booked for your treatment, you will be contacted by the relevant facility that you have been allocated. You will receive admission guidance from that specific hospital, admission paper work to complete and a financial check few days prior to your treatment date.
You might also receive double up reminder text messages or an email/call from the nurse or practice staff from the Stella provider directly.
Stella offers concierge-level access to care and will be responsible for booking you in for your treatment.
DVA Gold is supported in a very straight forward way - please schedule a call.
DVA - white card holders are a little more complex and we will need to submit approvals to the Department of Veteran Affairs. We have been sucessful in about 40% of patients.
We have had also about 30% success with Work Cover Clients.
Contact us directly via cares@stellacentre.com.au.
This procedure is elective and is mostly an out of pocket cost. Rebates from medicare or insurance are negligible.
The FEES ESTIMATE breakdown will be provided during your phone consultation with us and emailed.
Hospital admission applies in certain Stella locations. Just like any procedure there is more than one party involved - you have the Stella doctor, and you have the hospital /facility fees, radiology and anaesthetic fees if sedated.
These various fees will be billed separately by the different providers.
Contact us to discuss this in detail: cares@stellacentre.com.au
If you do have private health insurance - please read more in our articles that cover this topic:
1) How Your Medical Cover Works
2) Private Health Insurance - Why is it so widely misunderstood?
Yes we offer financing through TLC. https://tlc.com.au/
TLC fund all of your Wellness treatments and out-of-pocket costs with a payment plan that suits you and as little as $30 per week:
- Payment plans from $2,000 to $50,000 – covering all medical fees
- No stress – the whole process is managed privately by our Consultants
- Any additional repayments or rebates can be added back on to the payment plan at no extra charge
