Treatment Options > Microsurgical Options

Do i need ANOTHER MRI so soon (pre-surgery)?

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calimama:
HI all,

Just wondering if this makes sense...

I had original MRI in January 2008 which determined AN.
I had a follow up MRI on April 20 (ordered by a rad-doc who wanted to see if it was growing).
I was all set for surgery yesterday, but got bumped just last week to June 2. My surgeon's secretary called me and said that i need to have another MRI (booked now for this friday May 16).

Does it make sense that i need another MRI less than 4 weeks after my last? As of last Monday, i was all set for surgery just 7 days later (then i got rescheduled) and at that point there was no word of needing another MRI. I wonder if there some time period within which you need an MRI before surgery and now that i have been pushed out 3 weeks my earlier April 20 MRI is invalid????

We all know these are slow growers (generally) and given that I have had 2 in the last few months with the second one showing no growth, i found it odd.

Or do they do some kind of different/special MRI before surgery to plan? (IF so, then i wonder why i was only a week out, pre-ad done, and there no mention of needing to hurry up and get this special one).

Can different doctors ask for different info from an MRI scanner?

Thoughts????

Thanks
Trish

er:
Hello calimana,

I sorry to hear your problem, I sure hope that the reason is that some one has made a mistake and no AN,
I was told they grow 2 mm a year. It isn't right for them to play with your emotions there needs to be some explaination besides the MRI are expansive.
Good luck and I hope it is good news.
eve

sgerrard:
The question has come up before, at least for radiation treatment, and the answer seems to be that it varies by the clinic or doctor giving treatment. Some rely on an MRI from several months earlier; others want one within a week or two of treatment.

I doubt there is much change in most of  them, but I think these places just get into a certain pattern that works for them, and then they don't want to vary from it, however logical or not it may be.

Be a good little sheep and play along with them.  :D

Steve

lori67:
I've never heard of doing so many MRI's in such a short period of time.  I can understand if you're having radiation, because the doctors will want to know exactly where to aim, but for surgery, the "entry point" ( for lack of a better term) is going to be the same, depending on the approach, translab vs. retrosigmoid, etc.  So, while it's important for them to know where the tumor is, I don't think it would have changed locations so much in the course of a month that they wouldn't see it once they're in there.

Seems strange to me.  I would ask the doctor about it.  We all know there is the occasional breakdown in communications between the doctor, the scheduler, the hospital and the patient.  It could very well be his way of doing things, but I'd check if I were you.  No sense having tests done that you don't need.  I'm sure he'll be able to explain his rationale.

And then, if he does, then you can start "baa-ing" like a good little sheep!   :D

Lori

leapyrtwins:
I'd check with the doctor, because miscommunications do happen, but it's his call.  If he feels you need another one and he has a reasonable explanation of why you need it, IMO you should have it.  Maybe he just wants to be sure of what he's "dealing with".

Remember that even though ANs typically grow slowly, sometimes they do grow fast.

I had my diagnostic MRI mid-April last year and my AN was 1.5 cm.  I had surgery on 5/31/07 - basically six weeks later - and during the surgery the docs discovered that my AN had almost doubled.  It was quite a surprise to all of us  :o

Jan

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