Author Topic: how long for MRI results (Read 61980 times)

ppv · « **on:** March 09, 2007, 04:15:21 PM »

I was wondering if anyone out there know how long it typically takes for a doctor to get MRI results back from an imaging center. The center is not in the same location as the doctor, but they have a close working relationship. The doctor wanted me to go same day to get an MRI, but the only appointment available was for the next night. It's now the second morning after the MRI was taken (approximately 36 hours later), and the woman I've been talking to is telling me it takes 3-5 business days. I was under the impression the doctor wanted me in surgery as soon as possible, but that's not looking like the case anymore.

thanks.....

Ferris · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2007, 08:21:19 AM »

If the doctor and the MRI centre have a close working relationship then the doctor should know how long it will take to get the results back and will have factored that into his timetable in treating you - maybe that's why he wanted you to have it the same day as his appointment in order to get the ball rolling. If the radiographer is asked to produce a report on the findings of the MRI then it will take a little time especially he s/he has others to look at and report on. Some doctors don't like to receive reports from radiographers and prefer to review the report for themselves with no suggestions to guide them - in which case it should be quicker as then it is just a case of sending the film off to your doctor from the MRI centre. I had to wait a week and was told to make my next appointment with the surgeon at that point and to tell the MRI unit (at the same hospital) when my next appointment was with the surgeon. He had the films and the radiographer's report at that next appointment (he didn't agree with all of the report) and scheduled my surgery (ACLr) for a fortnight later - compared to the UK NHS waiting time, that was as soon as possible - I went private. If it was extremely important for you to have the surgery in the next couple of days after your appointment then I suspect that your doctor will have speeded things up with the MRI centre in receiving the results as he would have known their normal time scale.

Rachel

paulgrech · « **Reply #2 on:** April 12, 2007, 11:30:19 PM »

It very much depends on the setup for reporting. You mentioned an imaging centre. Some of these send your scans around the county or even abroad (electronically or posted as CDs) to be reported and others rely on a visiting radiologist who turns up when he has free time. Once the scan is reported it has to be typed up and sent out. I tried to set a standard of getting the result back to the doctor within 24hrs and managed this by having a radiologist available when the scan is done, using voice recognition or "hot reporting" by a typist and then faxing the report to avoid using the internal post system which can add 2 days to the turnaround of a report. Even then a compliicated scan may need to be shown to another radiologist and this can cause a long delay.
We want to turn reports around in 24 hours to protect our business. If a report in the private sector is delayed, the patient pesters the doctor who asked for the scan and the doctor sends the next patient somewhere else for their scan- this is the market economy working for the patients benefit.
It use to be commonplace for reports to take almost 2 weeks to turn around but the expectation now is that the report is available the next day and even 15 years ago I found this to be the case in the US.
www.uk-radiology.co.uk

jathib · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2007, 12:20:32 AM »

The place I go for MRIs reads them right away and faxes the findings to my doctor within 24 hours. They also hand over the films to me right then and there so I can take them to my doctor at my follow-up appointment. The last time I had an MRI my appointment was at 4 PM on a Friday. My follow-up with my doctor was the following Monday at 8 AM and they had faxed him the results that Friday night so they were there on Monday morning.

garth · « **Reply #4 on:** May 29, 2007, 07:19:50 PM »

Hi,

I'm due for an MRI at the weekend. Does anyone have any idea how long the NHS take to get the results? My MRI won't be at a hospital's unit, but a mobile unit instead (Alliance Medical). I had a form through which asked if it was ok to send the results off to South Africa to be interpreted! (A cost cutting thing, they like to send medical notes to India to be typed up!). I havn't heard anything from my OS since I saw him in April. I assume they will arrange an appointment when they get the results. Hopefully I won't have long to wait. Been waiting for the MRI since early April.

garth

pinkpipsan · « **Reply #5 on:** May 29, 2007, 09:47:17 PM »

Hi Garth,

I had an MRI scan in March and had my results within 4 weeks through the NHS. However, my hosptal has this onsite so not sure if this is faster.

I would advise to go with sending them abroad as this seems to be faster. My mum had a scan recently and refused for them to be sent away and it took over 10 weeks for her to hear back.

Good luck with your appointment

Pip

UK Girl ! · « **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2007, 10:13:40 PM »

Hi Garth - my OS gets the results back within 10 days - he gets us to make an appt 2 weeks post scan.

PPV - wow you don't know how luckyyou are gettin your scans so fast - in the uk it can be anything from 4 - 40 weeks!!

garth · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2007, 10:57:49 PM »

Hi again, thanks for the replies. I was going to say no to allowing the scan to be sent abroad. Having second thoughts now. I'm not going to be a happy bunny if I end up waiting months to get the results back. Getting anywhere with the NHS seems like trying to get through quicksand at times. Its all been starting to get to me recently with all the waiting and my knees getting worse. I'm a farmers son and theres a lot I help out with during the summer. Its dawned on me that I'm unlikely to be fit for any of it now.

garth · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:14:31 PM »

Thought this may be of interest to soemone on here. If you have a scan done with one of Alliance Medical's mobile units o behalf of the nhs, an Alliance radiologist will do the reading.

Hopefully it will be quicker than the nhs.

Scan is tomorrow. I'll post again (if I remember

) once I have the reading.

garth

Berta · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2007, 06:23:34 PM »

Hi Garth, How are things, have you got your results yet? I'm getting worried reading how long it takes to get results, still waiting for the MRI, and getting frustrated, going to be fit to tie if I have to wait ages again for the result.

garth · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2007, 10:12:29 PM »

Hi rm185,

Still waiting. Its been two and a half weeks. I've spoke to two people about it. One said 3-4 weeks. The other said 4-6 weeks. I've decided to accept the 4-6 week statement. I know I'd end up getting frustrated if I expected it in 3 or 4 weeks and nothing came. To be honest I've tried to forget that I've even had it. Ignorance is bliss

Are you having to deal with the NHS. If you are, you tend to get used to long waits don't you.

redtoblack · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2007, 10:18:35 PM »

Wow, that's a long time to wait for the results. I had an MRI done on the 13th of this month and the results were ready the next morning. I have the films with me, but they would only release the report to my OS. All I'm waiting on is my appointment tomorrow for the OS to review the results with me. I've been a mess just waiting for a week.

Jordan

garth · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2007, 10:27:44 PM »

Quote from: redtoblack on June 19, 2007, 10:18:35 PM

Wow, that's a long time to wait for the results. I had an MRI done on the 13th of this month and the results were ready the next morning. I have the films with me, but they would only release the report to my OS. All I'm waiting on is my appointment tomorrow for the OS to review the results with me. I've been a mess just waiting for a week.

Jordan

My guess is that you aren't having to deal with the NHS then! Over here we have to wait ages for most things. It took me a month to see the OS, 2 months to get the MRI done (would have been 3 or more if it wasn't done by a contractor the NHS), and up to 6 weeks for the results to get to the OS. My results may be as far away as South Africa at the moment as they get sent abroad to be read. There has been a shortage of trained radiographers in the UK for years now. Its all a bit of a shambles really.

Berta · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2007, 05:15:41 PM »

Hi Garth,
It's not until you leave the tender care of the NHS that you find it could be worse!!!

I'm now in Canada, and I have a 3 1/2 month wait to see an OS, and then if he wants MRI's then will have to wait again, but at least the results won't have to travel half way round the world. Keep in touch and let us know when they do get back.

jathib · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2007, 07:54:10 PM »

You should just cross the border into the US. When I changed orthopedic surgeons a couple years ago I had to wait 3 hours for my first appointment. And I don't mean 3 hours in the waiting room. It was 3 hours from the time I picked up the phone until I was actually in the doctor's office.

garth · « **Reply #15 on:** July 01, 2007, 09:19:01 PM »

Hi,
I finally got my appointment to see the OS about the MRI results. The appointment is on tuesday morning. I got it at short notice due to a cancelation. That said, if it wasn't for that mobile scanner being around when it was, I'd probably still be waiting for the scan.

I'll let you know whats up.

garth

paulgrech · « **Reply #16 on:** July 02, 2007, 12:23:49 AM »

Garth, for £200 this could all have been avoided. In Hereford, UK, and maybe elsewhere you can get a private scan and the report done by the next day using the very same machine, radiographers and radiologists as used by BUPA and the other insurance companies.
As usual the targets set by the Government in the UK were half baked and have been interpreted creatively, so that although Alliance Medical will take you off a hospital waiting list and do the scan you don't really benefit because the scans take months to report. The government minister who advised Alliance Medical (and was paid £30000) was none other than Alan Milburn who had just resigned as Secretary of State for Health at the time!

Berta · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2007, 01:43:41 AM »

Hi Garth,

Good luck with the results, I don't think I've actually asked what they are looking for and what your problem is. I also have only just noticed that you are a farmers son..............you can understand how I feel as farmers wife. I was hoping at first that everything would be OK by harvest, but now not even going to be seen until after harvest, oh well, I bet I get parked in the combine, on the theory once I have struggled up there, I can just sit all day!

Let us know what happens, and good luck again

garth · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2007, 10:13:55 PM »

I kow exactly how it feels.
It started to dawn on me that I won't be helping with the hay this year about a month ago. It feels quite odd as I've always helped shift bales around since I could roll them on my own. Despite the fact its hard work, I like doing it. I suppose theres always next year. I can't even drive a tracor at the moment as its too painful to use the clutch.

Hopefully that MRI will show up something that can be fixed. I've been getting a load of clunking and grinding etc from under the left kneecap. The mri will hopefully show something up in there.

garth

garth · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2007, 06:21:40 PM »

Well, I finally go to see someone about the results today. Turns out that I've torn my ACL. Everything else was in order.
I'll have to 3 months of physio until my next appointment with the OS. I saw a physio aswell and she thinks it will be a surgery job.

garth

Berta · « **Reply #20 on:** July 04, 2007, 05:11:33 PM »

I'm glad that you got the results, but seems strange that you have to go to PT when it will probably be a surgery job, unless they are getting you fit for the surgery.

Looks like it will be hay time next year before you are back in the swing of things.

I also findthat anything with a clutch is a problem, luckily we have an automatic car, so I can get round easy enough. The little yard tractor is a Case 5120, and it has such a light clutch that if I have to I can cope with that for a while, but as I'm usually just tootling about the yard I just stick it in 2:2 and get on with it, it has a clutchless shift for reverse so can actually do quite a lot. Everything else is out of bounds at the moment, I'm not sure if I'll be able to cope with the combine, when we drag it out for prep work I'll have to see.
How much do you farm, and where are you?

Denny

UK Girl ! · « **Reply #21 on:** July 04, 2007, 07:53:54 PM »

hey garth - even with a torn acl if you keep the other supporting muscles strong you will cope fine - many people don't have them replaced at all - just no footie for the time being - get out and get the hay done

garth · « **Reply #22 on:** July 04, 2007, 09:24:26 PM »

Denny,

I personally don't do a huge amount of farm work. I'm too unreliable

. I've had knee problems for just under 9 years which limits what I'm able to do around the farm. I also have very flat feet which require corrective insoles. I can't wear the insoles in wellies. Because of this, I can only tolerate the things on hard surfaces for very short periods. We only have livestock (cattle and sheep), our land isn't much good for arable. I'm from Devon in the UK.

anja,

My quads are in good shape as I've done lots of physio this year, the ones on my bad leg are now stronger than on the good leg. I want to get on the ACL specific exercises asap. I've done a load or reading on ACL injuries today. One thing I did notice is that it shouldn't be constantly painful like my knee is. Some of the symptoms that I have seem to point towards a torn meniscus. I think I'll try and put this to my GP and see if it can be looked in to.
The physio that I saw mentioned that one of her collegues has a completely severed ACL and has no problems.
garth

Berta · « **Reply #23 on:** July 05, 2007, 10:59:24 PM »

Hi Garth,
Devon is beautiful, we lived in Somerset for 25 years before moving out here to Canada. Your mention of wellies made me laugh, it brought home one of the reasons we moved out here....even working with the livestock, it's only wellie weather for about 4 weeks in total, 3 in spring, and maybe one in autumn

I know what you mean about flat feet, I can't wear wellies for too long, but was lucky enough to find a really nice pair of light weight, steel toed leather boots, that have a great arch support, they are really comfortable, and only cost $30 in Walmart, a bargain.

Jim, my husband managed a few farms in the UK, but we couldn't afford to get on the ladder off our own back, hence the move out here, the land is cheap, and the banks are willing to lend to people who have a little money, but a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm.

I haven't been able to work outside much since November, because of the knee, walking on uneven ground and snow made it hurt, and then I fell over tripping on a frozen cow pat, and that made it really hurt, so the boys banned me from to much work, apart from the odd "come and stand in this gateway" call when they are moving cows.

Good luck with getting a further diagnoses, and hope the exersises help

Denny

garth · « **Reply #24 on:** July 06, 2007, 11:08:26 PM »

Denny,
Moving to canda was probably a good idea. Being a livestock farmer is tough in the UK now. Bovine TB is crippling the beef industry, especially in the south west. Us included. The government will only tackle half of the problem. If you get an infected cow, it gets killed which is fair enough. On the other hand, we have a massive badger population with plenty of infected badgers roaming around spreading the disease. Nothing can be done to at least regulate the badger population as they are protected. There is a pro badger lobby in the UK that seems to hold clout with the government. The government hide behind flawed trials in order to avoid tackling the issue. This winds us up as we have had a closed heard for years. The cow that got infected had no contact with any other cows from other farms or with any of our cattle that have had contact with other cattle. The vet concluded it was from the local wildlife.

Sorry about the rant. Needed to get that off my chest.

garth

Berta · « **Reply #25 on:** July 07, 2007, 12:16:20 AM »

You rant away there, I totally agree with you, yes badgers are pretty, and yes they are part of the UK flora and fauna, BUT, for years farmers have controlled the population to a state where everyone can live in harmony. From what I read it seems that overcrowding in the Badger population due to the stopping of culling is causing an increase in the TB burden in them. I'm sorry but I'm not convinced by the 'townies' who say that there is no link between badgers and TB.

One of the many reasons we moved here was to get away from the regulations that are crippling farming, and other parts of UK life. Now we are able to build whatever we like on our farm, without applying for permission, which will be great when we are able to aford to put anything up. We can also shoot as many coyotes as we want, because none of the local farmers want them around. The white tail deer are managed by the local wildlife dept, they are counted and monitored during the spring and summer, then licences will be issued in the fall, to licenced hunters, who are allowed a certain number, based on keeping the population at a viable and sustainable level.

julieann · « **Reply #26 on:** August 09, 2007, 06:35:16 PM »

I just went and had an MRI on my knee this morning at 9am. They told me they will fax the results to both my regular doc and OS possibly by this afternoon, or at the latest tomorrow afternoon. They gave me the film to take with me also. Which is great because I have an appt. with the OS on Monday morning.

I wish I could read the film though and finally know what the heck is wrong with me.... do you think if I asked them they would send me a copy of the report also?

Berta · « **Reply #27 on:** August 10, 2007, 01:57:16 AM »

WOW, thats great service, it woin't hurt to ask and see if they can send you a copy of the report, I can understand you wanting to know whats wrong, that's the first step in getting things fixed!

Good luck

julieann · « **Reply #28 on:** August 10, 2007, 02:54:10 AM »

Yea, it was actually one of the best MRI experiences I've had so far. I didn't even have a co-pay, which was great cuz I was expecting the usual $10 charge. I've also had my shoulder and wrist done (apparently I have loose joints that are more susceptible to injury..or so told my OS when he was checking me out for my shoulder). The place I went for my knee today is the same one that did my shoulder, and they were questioning me about that. I had a tear in my shoulder and still haven't gotten it fixed yet (6 yrs later..)... so they were badgering me about that (although not meanly), and they said my OS was gonna bug me about that too. LOL. Oh joy.

I am going to call them in the morning and ask them to fax me the report. I don't see why they wouldn't give it to me...afterall its my medical history! I've never gotten the report before though...so who knows. But it would help me be better prepared for the OS appt. on Monday... I hate going in without having a clue what they're gonna say because then I don't have the questions to ask them.

julieann · « **Reply #29 on:** August 10, 2007, 03:32:28 PM »

Argh!! They won't give me a copy of the report. They said they can only give it to me after my doctor has told me what it says. What the heck ?

How would they even know when my doctor has told me? That doesn't seem right.

Berta · « **Reply #30 on:** August 10, 2007, 03:59:20 PM »

They think that we are little kids, you don't need the report because you couldn't possibly understand it. after all you have no medical training. If by some miracle you couild read it, then you would be worrying your pretty little head about things. The medical profession seems to struggle with the fact that not knowing is the worst thing.

I've been walking, well walking, limping and hopping, for ages without really knowing what was wrong. I saw a new doc this week who actually spent time and explained what's wrong with my knee, and now I'm a lot happier, still have to wait as long to see the OS and get confirmation, but now I have some answers I'm OK to wait.

Leentje · « **Reply #31 on:** August 16, 2007, 03:18:01 PM »

Quote from: rm185western on August 10, 2007, 03:59:20 PM

They think that we are little kids, you don't need the report because you couldn't possibly understand it. after all you have no medical training. If by some miracle you couild read it, then you would be worrying your pretty little head about things. The medical profession seems to struggle with the fact that not knowing is the worst thing.

You have no idea what radiologists can put in reports that can be misinterpretated... or don't read films right even if they spent years studying!
I personally think it's better not to give reports to patients, my own honest opinion... Not that patients are little kids as you state, but sometimes they know better than the doctors.
i am a nurse, if a patient knows it better then me, I tend to keep my mouth shout these days, let them go on the way they think is right, I don't care anymore, I say it once, then I am gone.

I had an MRI once and it showed I have a Bakers cyst but no problems regarding that, never had treatment for it and won't untill it gives me problems, if I would have read the films and know not much about knees I could have thought that was the problem, but it wasn't!

No offend, just my opinion, being a health care worker is hard, even when you have a resuscitation family tells you what to do!! You HAVE to defibrillate him, they always do that on TV and it always works... whooohoooo like you can defibrillate every rythm...

Helena

Berta · « **Reply #32 on:** August 17, 2007, 06:55:20 AM »

No offence taken, and I understand what you are saying.

My rant is part of a purely personal feeling on how my life is going at present. I have been living with a bad knee for nearly 10 months and still have no answer, so gettng info is very important to me.

Contrast though the experience of trying to get any info about the ultra sound that I had, the technician was unable to tell me anything, I can understand it, but still annoying. My physio eventually phoned and got the results for me, it was 2 weeks after the event and I was going mad to get any clues to the problem.

Contrast that to my local, small town hospital, where I have been 3 times now for x rays. The first time I was given the films there abd then to take back to the doctor to get a diagnosis, the last 2 times have been for my knee and my back. Both times the x rays had to go away and be read, but the radiolligist was happy for me to look at the films.............not that they mean that much to me, but mor importantly to give some brief comments, heavily qualified with the fact that they need to be read properly. Two weeks later I'm still waiting to hear officially about my back x-ray, but am happy to wait as I know that the area we were worried about looks, on first impression, to be OK.

Leentje · « **Reply #33 on:** August 17, 2007, 09:33:02 AM »

I understand the fact you don't want to wait too long for your results, I want them rightaway too! Because of my position in my hospital, I get them, in other hospitals, i have to wait too. Xray, CTscan and echo results can be in within 10', if the department is busy it can take a bit longer, MRI results are usually in the next day, but most of the time you have to wait up to a week before you get results.
The bigger the hospital, the longer you have to wait, that's just the rule.
I cannot even tell a patient if his/her hip or something is broken f.e., I always have to guess and tell people the Dr will tell them their results, because it doesn't ly in my competences. Some patients get frustrated by that and yell at us, it's just the way it is

Hope you get some answers soon

Helena

jdwheels · « **Reply #34 on:** January 05, 2008, 11:12:15 PM »

In my case, I went to the hospital for my CAT scan and MRI, and before I left, they gave me 2 CD roms with my scans. I took them home and looked at them on my PC, was only able to figure out a couple of pics, and then the next day, took them with me to give to my surgeon. I was impressed!

Discochikn · « **Reply #35 on:** January 06, 2008, 12:14:28 AM »

I have had 3 MRI's in little over a year. With my first 2 MRI's my OS had the results later the same day. My doctor fast tracked me for surgery too. With my last MRI, I went to a different doctor and he sent me to a place where he could view the MRI results online immediately and via email. They actually sent the copies of the films with me before I left the Hospital to take to him also. If your OS is wanting to schedule surgery ASAP, they will probably call you with the results the first part of the week. I would call Monday morning and expalin you are still in pain and that you want to know exactly what is wrong.

Good Luck