MRI Scan Results

Hey,
Does anyone know if there's a clinic or a radiologist out there who does second opinions? I've got an MRI where I received two different reports based on the exact same scans—they don't match up at all. Thanks.

For sure:

Laura Cox5 said:For sure:

Did you go through that same process with them—or maybe someone you know?

Well, it really depends on what we're talking about. I mean, you wouldn't exactly go running to Neuron at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke just to drop off some MRI scans of your knee. I mean, sure, you technically could—it's not like they'd stop you—but I don't know... I probably wouldn't...

Jose Miller3 said:Well, it really depends on what we're talking about. I mean, you wouldn't exactly go running to Neuron at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke just to drop off some MRI scans of your knee. I mean, sure, you technically could—it's not like they'd stop you—but I don't know... I probably wouldn't...

Wait, where did the knee thing even come from?

Laura Cox5 said:Wait, where did the knee thing even come from?

Oh, it didn't come from anywhere—the knee thing was just a metaphor to show that it really matters which part of the body we're talking about in the original question. I obviously don't actually know if it's a knee or not...

Does anyone know where I might be able to get an MRI in Washington, D.C., without waiting a full year? I suppose I should try using my insurance referral, if that helps at all.

Sadly, you won't find anything about it anywhere. Honestly, you’d probably have better luck just calling up the Secretary of Health directly and asking. I actually have my own appointment scheduled for January 14th, 2020.
And get this—the referral itself is dated all the way back to late 2018.

Maria Chase4 said:Hey,
Does anyone know if there's a clinic or a radiologist out there who does second opinions? I've got an MRI where I received two different reports based on the exact same scans—they don't match up at all. Thanks.

What part of the body are we talking about?

Joshua Evans7 said:Does anyone know where I might be able to get an MRI in Washington, D.C., without waiting a full year? I suppose I should try using my insurance referral, if that helps at all.

Laura Cox5 said:Sadly, you won't find anything about it anywhere. Honestly, you’d probably have better luck just calling up the Secretary of Health directly and asking. I actually have my own appointment scheduled for January 14th, 2020.
And get this—the referral itself is dated all the way back to late 2018.

- Ivan Drinković Clinic
- Affidea čavka
- Cleveland Clinic
- Quest Diagnostics

I went to Affidea čavka recently using a referral, and I only had to wait exactly one week. Give them a shot.

It’s about the elbow—should have mentioned that earlier...
Affidea čavka, booked on Jan 8th, scan completed Feb 15th.

Maria Chase4 said:It’s about the elbow—should have mentioned that earlier...
Affidea čavka, booked on Jan 8th, scan completed Feb 15th.

There is an incredible radiologist working over at Neuron whose specialty is the musculoskeletal system. Since you're dealing with an elbow issue, she might be exactly who you need. Her name is Maja prutka.

If you need a referral for somewhere abroad, just shoot me a DM.

I have my doubts regarding the quality of imaging performed at Mayo Clinic, not to mention the accuracy of their results interpretation. It is likely the reason why wait times there seem so deceptively short.
In addition to the specialists at Neuron, I would also suggest consulting Dr. Borić at St. Catherine.

Grace Davis77 said:I have my doubts regarding the quality of imaging performed at Mayo Clinic, not to mention the accuracy of their results interpretation. It is likely the reason why wait times there seem so deceptively short.
In addition to the specialists at Neuron, I would also suggest consulting Dr. Borić at St. Catherine.

That might not even be true regarding Affidea čavka. I know someone who had brain MRIs done a while back at two different clinics. The first time was at Quest Diagnostics (can't remember how long the line was), but they had the results ready immediately. The next two times were at Neuron—you wait a few days even after paying—and one time it was read by Dr. Rados, and the other by Dr. Roglic. I think the results are pretty much ready right away (not that I can recall everything perfectly).

I decided to take my business elsewhere after hearing feedback from several patients and even a specialist I personally trust. To make matters worse, the way they interpreted my own scans was nothing short of pathetic. I’m not suggesting this is the universal standard, but the specific instances I’ve encountered were far from positive.
Furthermore, they aren't the only ones failing. A colleague of mine had an MRI done at a different private clinic, and the results were just as poorly analyzed—they completely missed a tumor that any competent expert should have spotted immediately. I won't even go into the devastating consequences that oversight caused.

Grace Davis77 said:I decided to take my business elsewhere after hearing feedback from several patients and even a specialist I personally trust. To make matters worse, the way they interpreted my own scans was nothing short of pathetic. I’m not suggesting this is the universal standard, but the specific instances I’ve encountered were far from positive.
Furthermore, they aren't the only ones failing. A colleague of mine had an MRI done at a different private clinic, and the results were just as poorly analyzed—they completely missed a tumor that any competent expert should have spotted immediately. I won't even go into the devastating consequences that oversight caused.

Honestly, I think the real issue is that there just aren't enough people qualified to actually read these things. Personally, I've used Neuron for a brain MRI (not sure if they do other organs, don't ask), but so far, I'd give them a thumbs up. As for Quest Diagnostics, that was like 10 years ago—they found something on that scan, but honestly, nobody really knows what it meant even now. I don't know about the Ivan Drinković clinic; people say they're okay, though I might be wrong. In my opinion, if you can afford it and it's urgent, sometimes it's just better to shell out the cash and get it done right.

I honestly have no clue what’s going on with the folks over at the Ivan Drinković clinic and their lab results lately?

Grace Davis77 said:I have my doubts regarding the quality of imaging performed at Mayo Clinic, not to mention the accuracy of their results interpretation. It is likely the reason why wait times there seem so deceptively short.
In addition to the specialists at Neuron, I would also suggest consulting Dr. Borić at St. Catherine.

My scan was interpreted by their radiologist, Skljarov: https://najdoktor.com/mrsc-igor-skljarov/d16428 It was identical to the report I got from Neuron six months ago, except Skljarov actually spotted something extra—though I could be attributing that just to the six-month gap between scans. Skljarov didn't have access to my medical history, so it definitely wasn't just him copying someone else's work.

Also, before the scan, he warned me that their machine (looks like a 1.5 T Siemens) doesn't have the specific protocol set up for what I need, though honestly, no one in the US seems to have it perfectly tuned for this either. We had a back-and-forth three different times about whether they would even perform the scan or not, but I insisted they just use whatever protocol they have on hand. Look, I get it—they don't have the exact setup I wanted, but I needed it done.

My only gripe with Skljarov is that he’s totally unapproachable when it comes to recommending where to go for follow-up imaging. He just wrote it in the report and gave me this incredibly arrogant response. But hey, I'm used to dealing with people like that; you just shake it off and move on.

I’m building on the point made above. I have noticed during some of my own Microsoft scans—and several colleagues of mine share this observation—that different radiologists tend to fall back on the exact same templates when they have a previous report sitting right in front of them. Because of this, my advice is simple: do not bring your old reports with you if you are getting scans of the same area. The entire purpose of seeking a second opinion is to get an independent perspective, not to have a radiologist simply glance at someone else's diagnosis and then parrot it back or "tweak" it to match. Furthermore, the scans themselves clearly indicate where they were performed, so there is always a risk that the interpreting radiologist knows the original doctor. Even though doctors always tell you to bring your medical history and all relevant documentation,

In my experience, I’ve had joint MRIs done at Cleveland Clinic, where the reading was handled by Dr. Matej Mustapić, a radiology specialist from Mass General Hospital. I can certainly recommend him; he is highly experienced and widely regarded as a top-tier diagnostician. I also went to St. Catherine, where the renowned expert Dr. Borić practices. Their MRI machine is specifically optimized for imaging joint structures, utilizing specialized software that provides exceptional clarity for joints, particularly regarding cartilage condition. They even conduct clinical trials there involving stem cell regeneration for cartilage and joint tissues using Lipogems, so their equipment is specifically tailored for that level of detail.

The next time I need one, I’ll head to Quest Diagnostics. They’ve recently acquired a new 3T machine, and I make it a point not to bring any prior documentation or even mention my previous MRI results. Up until now, I’ve mostly used insurance referrals, though I did pay out-of-pocket once during a promotion when the price was dropped from $533 down to what I believe was $300.

David White2 said:I’m building on the point made above. I have noticed during some of my own Microsoft scans—and several colleagues of mine share this observation—that different radiologists tend to fall back on the exact same templates when they have a previous report sitting right in front of them. Because of this, my advice is simple: do not bring your old reports with you if you are getting scans of the same area. The entire purpose of seeking a second opinion is to get an independent perspective, not to have a radiologist simply glance at someone else's diagnosis and then parrot it back or "tweak" it to match. Furthermore, the scans themselves clearly indicate where they were performed, so there is always a risk that the interpreting radiologist knows the original doctor. Even though doctors always tell you to bring your medical history and all relevant documentation,

In my experience, I’ve had joint MRIs done at Cleveland Clinic, where the reading was handled by Dr. Matej Mustapić, a radiology specialist from Mass General Hospital. I can certainly recommend him; he is highly experienced and widely regarded as a top-tier diagnostician. I also went to St. Catherine, where the renowned expert Dr. Borić practices. Their MRI machine is specifically optimized for imaging joint structures, utilizing specialized software that provides exceptional clarity for joints, particularly regarding cartilage condition. They even conduct clinical trials there involving stem cell regeneration for cartilage and joint tissues using Lipogems, so their equipment is specifically tailored for that level of detail.

The next time I need one, I’ll head to Quest Diagnostics. They’ve recently acquired a new 3T machine, and I make it a point not to bring any prior documentation or even mention my previous MRI results. Up until now, I’ve mostly used insurance referrals, though I did pay out-of-pocket once during a promotion when the price was dropped from $533 down to what I believe was $300.

Just to add to this: that is, assuming their systems aren't digitally linked (in which case they could pull up whatever data they want). Usually, they ask for brain scans to be redone on the exact same machine and at the same strength. It’s worth knowing that besides Neuron and Quest Diagnostics, there are other places with a 3T machine. It’s like a basic blood test—only one specific person is authorized to pick up the results. It turns out there's a reason for that. I didn't mention it at the time, but it hit me later who that person would be and how it works. It's all down to IT and technology.

David White2 said:I’m building on the point made above. I have noticed during some of my own Microsoft scans—and several colleagues of mine share this observation—that different radiologists tend to fall back on the exact same templates when they have a previous report sitting right in front of them. Because of this, my advice is simple: do not bring your old reports with you if you are getting scans of the same area. The entire purpose of seeking a second opinion is to get an independent perspective, not to have a radiologist simply glance at someone else's diagnosis and then parrot it back or "tweak" it to match. Furthermore, the scans themselves clearly indicate where they were performed, so there is always a risk that the interpreting radiologist knows the original doctor. Even though doctors always tell you to bring your medical history and all relevant documentation,

In my experience, I’ve had joint MRIs done at Cleveland Clinic, where the reading was handled by Dr. Matej Mustapić, a radiology specialist from Mass General Hospital. I can certainly recommend him; he is highly experienced and widely regarded as a top-tier diagnostician. I also went to St. Catherine, where the renowned expert Dr. Borić practices. Their MRI machine is specifically optimized for imaging joint structures, utilizing specialized software that provides exceptional clarity for joints, particularly regarding cartilage condition. They even conduct clinical trials there involving stem cell regeneration for cartilage and joint tissues using Lipogems, so their equipment is specifically tailored for that level of detail.

The next time I need one, I’ll head to Quest Diagnostics. They’ve recently acquired a new 3T machine, and I make it a point not to bring any prior documentation or even mention my previous MRI results. Up until now, I’ve mostly used insurance referrals, though I did pay out-of-pocket once during a promotion when the price was dropped from $533 down to what I believe was $300.

But again, that's just my two cents—don't forget, everything is interconnected nowadays, so there's really no point in lugging around physical CDs anyway.