Concierge interventional radiology · London
CT-guided injection, for the targets fluoroscopy cannot reach.
Image-guided injection using CT for pinpoint accuracy in deep or complex targets — nerve roots, facet joints, sacroiliac joints, coeliac plexus, sympathetic chain, complex hips and biopsies. Done by a consultant interventional radiologist or pain specialist.
Why patients choose us
- 01
Consultant interventional radiologist or pain specialist
Not a trainee and not a general list. Your injection is placed by a consultant interventional radiologist or pain physician who does image-guided work every week.
- 02
CT when fluoroscopy is not enough
For deep targets — nerve roots, coeliac plexus, sympathetic chain, complex hips — CT gives sub-millimetre accuracy that fluoroscopy cannot match. We use it only when the target actually warrants it.
- 03
Honest about the trade-off
CT means a small dose of ionising radiation for much higher accuracy. We say when that trade is worth it, and when a simpler injection would do the same job.
Indicative pricing
What a private CT-guided injection costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our partner clinics. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A CT-guided nerve root block in our network: £1,100–£1,900, home the same day.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| CT-guided nerve root block (transforaminal ESI) | £1,100–£1,900 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided facet joint injection | £900–£1,500 | 30 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided sacroiliac joint injection | £900–£1,500 | 30 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided medial branch block | £900–£1,600 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided coeliac plexus / splanchnic block | £1,800–£3,200 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided sympathetic chain block | £1,500–£2,800 | 45 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided deep joint or bursa injection | £1,000–£1,800 | 30 min | Same visit |
| CT-guided diagnostic aspiration or biopsy | £1,200–£2,400 | 45 min | Same visit |
| Consultation only | £200–£400 | 30 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by clinic, by which consultant does the case, by the target and by whether contrast or neurolytic agents are used. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right target, the right image guidance, the right operator.
Image-guided injections done badly are wasted money and a wasted diagnostic opportunity. CT is the answer for a specific list of targets — not for everything. We make sure it is the right tool for your problem before you book.
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Is CT the right guidance?
For deep targets, yes. For shoulders, hands and knees, ultrasound is usually better. We choose the guidance the target actually needs.
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Is a block even the right step?
A well-placed injection is a diagnostic tool as much as a treatment. We say what it will and will not tell us.
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Who is putting the needle in?
A named consultant interventional radiologist or pain physician — not a trainee, not a generalist.
The journey
From imaging review to response — what happens, in order.
One clinician from first message to review — including the recovery window.
Phase 1 · Before your procedure
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A few hours at the clinic
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
Imaging review
A short, confidential form and your existing MRI or CT. The consultant reviews the target, plans the approach and confirms whether CT guidance is actually needed.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: the right target, the right agent (steroid, local anaesthetic, neurolytic or contrast), the right operator, and an indicative price.
- 03
Before
We arrange the appointment
Usually within one to two weeks. Blood-thinning medication, diabetes control and contrast allergy history are reviewed with the team beforehand.
- 04
On the day
Arrival and consent
A brief chat with the interventional radiologist covering the target, the medication, the small radiation dose and the specific risks — dural puncture, vascular injection, hypotension after coeliac plexus.
- 05
On the day
The CT-guided procedure
Prone or supine on the CT couch. Skin cleaned, local anaesthetic to the skin, a thin needle advanced under intermittent CT with contrast to confirm placement. The medication is then delivered. Usually 20 to 45 minutes on the table.
- 06
On the day
Recovery and home the same day
Thirty to sixty minutes of observation — longer after a coeliac plexus or sympathetic block because blood pressure can drop. Home the same day with written aftercare.
- 07
After
Response check
A brief review at two to six weeks. If a diagnostic block was positive we plan the next step; if therapeutic, we agree whether and when to repeat.
Typical end-to-end: 1–2 weeks from enquiry to procedure. Steroid effect builds over 3–7 days.
When it helps
When CT guidance is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means an emergency rather than a call-back.
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Radicular leg or arm pain
A pinched nerve root causing dermatomal pain that has not settled — a transforaminal epidural steroid injection targets the exact root under CT.
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Facet joint back pain
Axial back pain worse with extension and rotation — a diagnostic facet block confirms the source, a therapeutic one relieves it.
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Sacroiliac joint pain
Buttock and posterior thigh pain from the SIJ. CT guidance places the needle precisely into a narrow, awkward joint.
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Coeliac plexus pain
Upper abdominal pain from pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis. A CT-guided coeliac plexus block, sometimes with alcohol neurolysis, can dramatically reduce opioid need.
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Sympathetic-mediated pain
Complex regional pain syndrome or sympathetic-driven visceral pain — a stellate ganglion or lumbar sympathetic block under CT can settle it.
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Complex hip or deep joint
Post-arthroplasty hips, deep bursae or an occipital nerve — targets where ultrasound cannot see and fluoroscopy is not precise enough.
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Diagnostic aspiration or biopsy
Fluid, mass or bone lesion that needs sampling. CT gives millimetre control for a safe, single pass.
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Red flag: fever after injection
A fever, spreading back pain or new weakness after a spinal injection is not normal — same-day A&E, not a clinic call-back.
Injection options
One technique, many targets.
What each option on the table actually involves — and which fits which problem.
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Transforaminal epidural (nerve root block)
Steroid and local anaesthetic placed exactly at the exiting nerve root. Both diagnostic (confirms the level) and therapeutic.
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Facet joint injection
Steroid and local into the facet joint capsule for degenerative facet pain. Often paired with a medial branch block to plan radiofrequency ablation.
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Sacroiliac joint injection
Steroid and local into the SIJ. CT is preferred where the joint is narrow or the anatomy is atypical.
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Medial branch block
Local anaesthetic to the medial branch nerves — a diagnostic test to see whether facet denervation will help.
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Coeliac plexus block
Local anaesthetic and steroid, or alcohol neurolysis, into the coeliac plexus for pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis pain.
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Splanchnic block
A step above the coeliac plexus for upper abdominal visceral pain when the coeliac approach is not feasible.
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Sympathetic chain block
Stellate ganglion for the upper limb and face, lumbar sympathetic for the lower limb — for CRPS and vascular pain.
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Deep aspiration, biopsy or ablation planning
A joint aspiration in a complex post-op hip, a bone or soft-tissue biopsy, or the planning pass before tumour ablation.
Our vetted London network
A small panel of interventional radiologists, we picked them.
Consultant interventional radiologists and pain physicians across central, north, west and south London. Not listed publicly — introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every operator in our network.
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Consultant interventional radiologists or pain-medicine physicians, not trainees
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Modern CT scanners with low-dose interventional protocols
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Contrast allergy and anticoagulation reviewed before every case
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Recovery area equipped for blood-pressure monitoring after plexus and sympathetic blocks
Safety and recovery
What to expect — honestly.
CT-guided injection is a safe, well-established day-case procedure. The things worth planning for are the small radiation dose, the possibility of temporary weakness or a blood-pressure drop, and knowing what is normal after.
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Bleeding and bruising
Some bruising at the puncture site is normal. Significant bleeding is uncommon; blood thinners are reviewed carefully beforehand.
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Infection is rare but serious
Skin infection is uncommon. Deep infection — discitis or meningitis after a spinal injection — is very rare but why sterile technique matters.
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Post-dural puncture headache
A recognised complication of spinal injections if the dura is inadvertently pierced. Usually settles with rest and fluids; a blood patch is occasionally needed.
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Vascular (intravascular) injection
The reason we use contrast under CT to confirm the needle is not in a vessel before injecting steroid or neurolytic.
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Temporary weakness or numbness
Local anaesthetic can cause a few hours of leg or arm weakness — you should not drive on the day of the injection.
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Contrast reaction
Rare but possible. Any previous iodinated-contrast reaction must be flagged before booking so the team can plan for it.
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Hypotension after coeliac plexus
A drop in blood pressure is expected after a coeliac plexus or sympathetic block. Extra fluids and a longer observation are routine.
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Ionising radiation — small, cumulative
CT uses a small dose of X-rays. For a single injection the dose is low; for repeated procedures the cumulative dose is worth discussing.
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Red flags
Fever, spreading pain, new weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a severe headache after a spinal injection — call the clinic or A&E the same day.
Reading your procedure note
Your procedure note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever target was injected, the note the interventional radiologist sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Radiological language is precise and can read coldly — we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and target
Why the injection was done and the exact target — nerve root level, facet joint, SIJ side, plexus.
- 02 Technique
Approach, medication and dose
The needle approach on CT, the contrast used to confirm placement, and the medication delivered — steroid dose, local anaesthetic, neurolytic if any.
- 03 Findings
Placement, spread and any events
Whether the medication spread as planned, any vascular uptake, blood pressure changes and how they were managed.
- 04 Impression
Response plan and review timing
Read this first: what to expect over the next few days, when to review, and whether a repeat or a different next step is being planned.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for CT-guided injection varies by insurer and by indication — usually funded when medically indicated, sometimes self-pay for diagnostic blocks. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about CT-guided injection.
Quick answers on accuracy, radiation, medication, cost, and what to expect afterwards.
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Why CT rather than ultrasound or fluoroscopy?
CT gives sub-millimetre accuracy for deep targets — nerve roots, the coeliac plexus, sympathetic chains, complex hips. Ultrasound cannot see through bone or bowel gas; fluoroscopy is faster but less precise. The trade-off is a small dose of ionising radiation, which we only accept when the target actually warrants it.
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What medications are used?
A corticosteroid (usually triamcinolone or methylprednisolone) combined with local anaesthetic is the commonest mix. Some cases use hyaluronic acid, alcohol for neurolysis (coeliac plexus for cancer pain), or iodinated contrast — the contrast is used to confirm needle position, not to treat.
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Does a CT-guided injection hurt?
The skin is numbed first and most patients describe pressure rather than pain as the needle advances. Coeliac plexus and sympathetic blocks can cause a short deep ache when the medication is delivered. It is over quickly.
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How much radiation is involved?
A single CT-guided injection uses a small, targeted dose — much less than a diagnostic whole-abdomen CT because only the region of interest is imaged, in short bursts. Repeated procedures add up, so the cumulative dose is worth discussing if you are having several.
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How long does the relief last?
For a diagnostic block, the anaesthetic effect lasts hours and tells the consultant whether the target is right. For a therapeutic steroid injection, relief typically lasts weeks to months. For a coeliac plexus neurolysis, relief can last months and sometimes longer.
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Can I drive home?
Not on the day of the injection. Local anaesthetic can cause temporary weakness, and blocks that affect blood pressure (coeliac plexus, sympathetic) need a longer observation. Bring someone with you or arrange a taxi.
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How much does a CT-guided injection cost privately in London?
Roughly £900–£1,900 for a spinal or joint injection, £1,500–£2,800 for a sympathetic block, and £1,800–£3,200 for a coeliac plexus block. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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When will I know if it has worked?
The local anaesthetic effect wears off in hours; the steroid effect typically takes three to seven days to build. We review at two to six weeks to decide the next step.
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When should I go to A&E instead of waiting?
A fever, spreading redness, severe or worsening back pain, new leg or arm weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a severe headache after a spinal injection all warrant same-day medical review.
Sources
- Royal College of Radiologists. Standards for the provision of an interventional radiology service.
- Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE). Standards of practice: image-guided pain management.
- British Pain Society. Recommendations for the use of epidural steroid injections and other image-guided procedures.
- International Spine Intervention Society (ISIS/SIS). Practice guidelines for spinal diagnostic and treatment procedures.
Published 2026-07-30. Last reviewed 2026-07-30. Next review 2027-07-30. Reviewed by Pulse Atlas Editorial Board, . Reading time ~5 min.
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In practice, in London
Where CT guided injection sits in a private London pathway
For CT guided injection, the private London route is mostly about consultant fit and hospital choice rather than raw waiting time. The wait for CT guided injection on the NHS depends heavily on where you live and how urgently the referral is graded. Central and West London private clinics can normally book within a week, with imaging or a procedure slot to follow shortly after. It’s worth being honest about the reason for going private: usually it’s time, not a fundamentally different test.
The mechanics are straightforward: a consultant appointment, any tests done at a nearby CQC-registered site, and a written report back within a few days. London’s density of private diagnostics — Marylebone, the City, Chelsea, Canary Wharf — means most patients can find something that fits around work without a cross-town trek. For CT guided injection in particular, we bias towards consultants who do this every week rather than every month.
There are a lot of consultants in London who can technically handle CT guided injection. Fewer who do it week in, week out for the exact question you’re bringing. We spend most of our time working out which is which — and being straight when a different test or a different specialist would serve you better. Everything runs to CQC, GMC and Royal College standards; the choice is about fit, not floor.