Your visit
What to expect, from the first call to follow-up.
Where we see you, what to bring, insurance questions and second opinions.
How it works
- 1Call or request a consultation
Call 650-404-8445 or send a request online. Your doctor can also send a referral. You do not always need a referral to ask a question.
- 2We gather your records
We collect your recent imaging and reports so we can review them before we meet.
- 3Consultation
We look at your images together, explain what we see, and go through every option, including not treating.
- 4Procedure
Usually through a pinhole, with numbing medicine and sedation. Most people go home the same day.
- 5Follow-up
We check in after, review results with you and your doctors, and stay available for questions.
Clinic
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
701 E. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
Procedures
Most procedures are done in our procedure rooms or at El Camino Hospital, depending on the treatment. We will tell you where to go when we schedule.
Phone
What to bring
- Recent imaging reports, and the images if you have them
- A list of your medicines, especially blood thinners
- Your insurance card and photo ID
- Your questions, written down
Insurance and cost
Coverage depends on your plan and the procedure, and some plans need a prior authorization or a referral first. Call us with your insurance information before your visit and we will help you understand what your plan needs. Many condition pages also answer insurance questions under Common questions.
Second opinions
If you have been offered a procedure or surgery and want another view, call or request a consultation. We will review your imaging with you and explain every reasonable option, including not treating.
Before and after your procedure
Before your procedure
Fasting, medicines, blood thinners, diabetes, a driver and what to bring: your checklist.
Blood thinners and your procedure
Which blood thinners may be paused before a procedure, typical hold times, and how bridging works.
Sedation and anesthesia
Local numbing, twilight sedation and anesthesia: what you feel and why you need a ride.
After your procedure
Puncture site care, activity, showering, driving, pain and when to call after an IR procedure.
Home supplies for drains and tubes
What supplies you need for drains, kidney and bile tubes, and feeding tubes, and where to get them.
Talk to us about your options
Request a consultation online, or call 650-404-8445, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. You can also ask your doctor to send a referral. We will review your imaging and help you decide whether a procedure makes sense.