Please Find Below Answers to the Most Frequently Asked Questions About Stella

Treatment by Stella is a commitment to your recovery, from first contact to the moment you feel like yourself again. The Stella Standard of Care was created to meet your needs before, during, and after treatment. This is the new model of trauma treatment.

Getting To Know You:

The first step is to speak with a licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). The PMHNP will conduct a bio-psycho-social assessment which includes a review of your symptoms and health history. Using this information, the PMHNP will create a custom treatment recommendation for you.

Our PMHPs use validated measures to gauge your symptoms. These measures include the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) for symptoms of PTSD/ emotional trauma, the Generalized 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.

Curated Care:

Throughout the journey, you will work with a dedicated Patient Care Coordinator who will coordinate your care and help answer any questions along the way.

If receiving the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB), the entire procedure takes less than 20 minutes, but please plan on being at the facility for one to two hours. The positive effects of SGB are often immediate.

If receiving ketamine, each treatment typically takes 45 minutes. Please plan on being at the facility for one to two hours. Most have relief from symptoms within hours of treatment.

Those on Care Plans will work with Stella’s PMHNPs over 6 months and receive an individualized treatment plan that combines biological and psychological interventions to provide the best outcomes possible.

Ongoing Support:

Following treatment, your PMHNP will call to review the effectiveness of the procedure and ask about any symptoms that you may be experiencing. Each patient will also have a 30-minute follow-up to continue that review and discuss how to maximize the positive effects of treatment.

PMHNPs are there to physically, mentally, and emotionally support a patient, as uniquely required, during this session.

Those on Care Plans will have additional follow-up sessions with Stella’s PMHNPs which include completing standard mental health assessments, determining whether additional treatment is warranted, and discussing trauma-informed, healing-related topics such as getting better sleep, approaching grief, or mindfulness techniques.

A licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) will review your symptoms and health history to determine if you are a good candidate for the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) and/or Ketamine Infusion Therapy.

We will discuss any health conditions that you have to ensure that they do not interfere with the treatment's ability to relieve your symptoms. Call 908-928-4086 to schedule your initial consultation with a PMHNP.

At Stella, we have seen that patients who receive comprehensive care that includes biological treatments and insight-oriented talk therapy receive optimal benefits. For this reason, we strongly recommend a treatment plan that combines both biological and psychological care.

For patients receiving ketamine, co-occurring mental health support is a requirement, and it is strongly recommended for patients who receive SGB as well.

Trauma-informed psychoeducational sessions are included in all of our Gold Standard Care Plans and this series can be purchased as part of any Stella treatment plan. We also partner with a group therapy provider who offers a series of group therapy sessions tailored to the SGB treatment experience.

In addition, we partner with an extensive, independent network of Stella-certified therapy providers and can provide a referral to a therapist who works with us to help our patients get the best outcomes possible.

The first step is to speak with a licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). The PMHNP will conduct a bio-psycho-social assessment which includes a review of your symptoms and health history. Using this information, the PMHNP will create a custom treatment recommendation for you.

On average, our patients schedule their treatment within a few weeks of their PMHNP appointment depending on their location and treatment.

Stella offers concierge-level access to care and will help guide you through your care experience. After meeting with one of Stella’s PMHNPs, our Patient Care Team will work directly with you to schedule your treatments at one of our 30+ locations around the US.

We will be with you every step of the way and can help answer any questions about the day of treatment, what to expect, financing options, and more.

Yes, Stella has treated many patients who experience anxiety and depression along with traumatic brain injury, stress, and PTSD.

For example, the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) can help reduce nervousness, hypervigilance, trouble sleeping, and trouble concentrating.

SGB is not recognized as a treatment for Psychotic Disorders (e.g., Schizophrenia), personality disorders (e.g., Borderline Personality Disorder), or Bipolar Disorder.

Because of ketamine’s fast-acting nature, it can be an extremely valuable tool in immediately alleviating the suffering caused by major depressive disorder (MDD) and preventing suicide. More recently, it has been used to treat PTSD symptoms and neuropathic pain.

Yes, Stella has treated many patients suffering from C-PTSD and S-PTSD.

Stella’s PMHNP assessments, follow-up appointments, and psychoeducational sessions may be eligible for insurance reimbursement. Stella provides patients in certain states with a Superbill for each visit to submit for reimbursement. Superbills are available for residents of CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, NC, NJ, NY, VA, and WA. Please note that the actual amount reimbursed may vary depending on your health insurance coverage and deductible.

Biological interventions for mental health care – including the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) and Ketamine Infusion Therapy – are not currently covered by insurance. At this time, insurance companies only cover the SGB when it’s used for pain management and, unfortunately, insurance does not cover ketamine infusions.

All of our patients are considered self-pay. To help make treatment affordable, Stella accepts Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) as payment options. We also provide interest-free financing plans for up to 6 months to qualifying patients through CareCredit. We also take major credit cards.

Yes. Stella partners with CareCredit to provide interest-free financing plans for those who qualify. CareCredit is a healthcare credit card that offers promotional financing for healthcare procedures. Our Care Team can assist you with the application if you need it.

We also accept Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.

Stella’s PMHNP assessments, follow-up appointments, and psychoeducational sessions may be eligible for insurance reimbursement. Stella can provide Superbills for these services to residents of CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, NC, NJ, NY, VA, and WA. Please note that the actual amount reimbursed may vary depending on your health insurance coverage and deductible.

Is SGB FDA-approved?

The Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is only approved by the FDA as a pain management treatment. However, doctors can perform SGB for off-label uses like PTSD symptom relief.

​​The local anesthetics we use are Bupivacaine or Ropivacaine, both of which are FDA-approved.

Is ketamine FDA-approved?

Ketamine can be legally prescribed and administered off-label by licensed physicians. However, ketamine is only FDA approved as an anesthetic and not as a treatment for depression.

By way of comparison, an estimated 30% of all medications are prescribed off-label, including many cancer drugs, and are frequently used by physicians even though they are not FDA-approved for that particular purpose.

The body’s fight-or-flight response turns on when we experience trauma. And sometimes it stays on long after the traumatic event, which can cause debilitating symptoms. This over-activation of the fight-or-flight response causes nerve growth in the amygdala (also known as the brain’s “fear center”). This nerve growth can prevent the fight-or-flight response from returning to a normal level.

The Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is an injection of local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion – a bundle of nerves in the neck – that helps restore normal biological function and can efficiently relieve even the most severe trauma symptoms.

After researching and testing many ways of administering SGB, Dr. Eugene Lipov, Stella’s Chief Medical Officer, found that two injections – known as the “Dual Sympathetic Reset” – yield the best results.

Each Stella doctor is Board Certified and is personally trained by Dr. Lipov in Stella’s proprietary SGB methodology. We also require that our doctors use image guidance for correct needle placement.

The local anesthetics we use are Bupivacaine or Ropivacaine, both of which are FDA-approved.

The local anesthetic temporarily “turns off” the stellate ganglion, which has been sending signals via nerve pathways to the amygdala, causing nerve growth. SGB can stop the nerve growth that is occurring as well as eliminate or prune the extra nerve fibers that have been created, thereby “resetting” the amygdala to its pre-trauma state. The entire procedure takes less than 20 minutes.

On the day of your procedure, you may spend a few hours at the location to allow time for check-in, Twilight Sedation (if desired), treatment, and follow-up observation.

Over 83% of Stella patients experience lasting relief from their trauma symptoms after one dual injection.

The duration of the SGB’s positive effects varies from patient to patient, lasting months or years.

While the longevity of SGB’s effectiveness is still being researched. In a 2014 study, 70% of participants were clinical successes at a follow-up administered between 3 and 6 months after treatment.

We believe in the transparency of treatment outcomes. While no medical procedure is guaranteed to work for everyone, the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) by Stella has helped thousands of patients find lasting relief from their trauma-related symptoms.

The PTSD Checklist (PCL) is a self-report survey used to measure PTSD symptoms. According to the National Center for PTSD Guidance, a 10-point decrease in PCL score is a clinically significant improvement. In a study of 327 Stella patients who received SGB between December 2016 and February 2020, on average, over 83% reported a 28.9-point decrease in their PCL score. These Stella patients experienced a result that’s almost three times better than that of other treatments.

Ketamine is a safe, effective anesthetic that has been in use worldwide since 1970 and listed on the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines list since 1985. Unlike standard antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs, which generally take 4 to 8 weeks to work (if they work at all), ketamine is fast-acting and can sometimes show immediate efficacy after a single intravenous dose.

Because of its fast-acting nature, ketamine can be an extremely valuable tool in preventing suicide and immediately alleviating the suffering caused by major depressive disorder (MDD). More recently, it has been used to treat PTSD symptoms and neuropathic pain.

Stella’s Ketamine Infusion Therapy involves ketamine being administered intravenously very slowly over 45 minutes by trained personnel under the direction of a Board Certified doctor.

You will be monitored throughout the infusion, and we are prepared to increase or decrease dosage in real time along with treat any unpleasant side effects during the procedure.

Generally, within 15 minutes of completing the infusion, you will start to regain your senses and your thinking will return to normal. Results are fast and effective – most have relief from symptoms in hours of treatment. You can expect to be at the facility for several hours.

No, there is no evidence that ketamine infusions at low doses and frequencies used to treat mood disorders lead to dependence or addiction. Research suggests that ketamine can be an effective treatment for overcoming addiction. If you have a history of substance abuse, it does not exclude you from receiving ketamine infusions but it is important to disclose this information during your assessment.

A Stella Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) will perform a check-in call the day after treatment to discuss any concerns or side effects and escalate as needed. They will ask questions that analyze the effects of the treatment and ensure your safety after treatment.

Continued follow-ups aimed at integration and growth will then occur monthly to continue watching the effects of the treatment and help patients learn how to sustain the positive effects.

The Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)

Serious side effects of the SGB are extremely rare (1 in 10,000) because we require that our doctors use image guidance for correct needle placement.

Directly after SGB, patients temporarily experience various symptoms on the right side of the body including a droopy, bloodshot eye, warmth in the face and arm, and congestion. Usually, symptoms last 6-8 hours, but in some cases, they last up to 24 hours.

Nearly half of Stella's patients experience hoarseness or trouble swallowing that resolves within 24 hours of the procedure.

Ketamine Infusion Therapy

The side effects directly after a ketamine session are minimal and usually only last an hour or two. Side effects may include mild drowsiness, nausea, and increased blood pressure.

We monitor your vital signs throughout the infusion session and will routinely administer medication to prevent nausea. Less common side effects include vivid dreams or agitation, which can be controlled by adjusting the dosage.

Many patients do not mind the relaxed and free feeling they experience during the infusion, and this feeling has been postulated to be beneficial.