This is such a common problem the NY Times did an article about it within the past few months: Older folks skipping necessary or beneficial day surgery and procedures because they can't find a reliable person to accompany them throughout the procedure.
I had to cancel a procedure for my chronic neck pain back in December for the same reason. The plan was for three injections *outside* the spine to numb some nerves that were causing pain from my cervical spine stenosis. If the procedure helped, the plan was to "burn" the nerves on the next visit if the pain returned. But the clinic requires the driver to wait in the waiting room throughout the procedure. They would not accept an arrangement in which a driver would return to pick me up.
My Medicare/Medicaid provider claimed they could arrange for a driver to accompany me, wait in the lobby, and drive me home. I called the week before to confirm. But on the morning of the procedure the driving service said they cannot provide someone to wait in the waiting room throughout the procedure.
After weeks of wrangling with the insurance carrier and driving service I gave up.
The VA was my primary health care system before I turned 65 and switched to Medicare. The VA used to arrange for this kind of transportation and accompaniment. But things changed during the pandemic, the VA health care system had a huge turnover in staff, budget cuts, etc., and no longer provide this kind of transportation in my region unless we meet a higher threshold for disabled combat or service connected disabilities. Mine is fairly minor (neck injury in training at Coronado, but not enough for significant disability until the past few years).
My only alternative at this point is to hire someone for the day at my own expense. I figure it'll cost at least $200, estimated based on the market value for what a rideshare driver could earn during the same time, roughly 4-8 hours.
As a long shot I could try to get an ortho doc to cite this procedure as medically necessary, rather than just for "lifestyle improvement," in which case it might be possible to have the procedure done in a hospital with an overnight stay covered by insurance. But I doubt the health care system assigned by my Medicare replacement program will go for that.
My ortho doc said some other ortho specialists will do it in their own private practice clinics, and won't require someone to accompany me and stay in the waiting room. I haven't called around yet to see whether another ortho clinic might be okay with this.
PITN. Literally.