Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Private MRI scan

Fitness tips, Relaxation, Mind and Body
88V8
Lemon Half
Posts: 5766
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:22 am
Has thanked: 4096 times
Been thanked: 2558 times

Private MRI scan

#421480

Postby 88V8 » June 22nd, 2021, 11:00 pm

Last Thursday week I did something nasty to my ribs, sternum or more likely the connecting cartilage.
Twelve days on it's still very painful. Probably no better at all. I would instantly pay £100 not to sneeze.

Our GP practice is offering telephone appointments only, as far as they are concerned the pandemic is still in full force and effect.
A locum calls you... he said to take paracetamol...

I have in mind booking a private MRI scan. I see I can do that online.

I realise that usually damage in that area is left to heal in its own time, so probably the outcome will be No Action, but I would like to know what the damage is.

Any experience with booking and following up one's own scan?

V8

servodude
Lemon Half
Posts: 8271
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 5:56 am
Has thanked: 4434 times
Been thanked: 3564 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421486

Postby servodude » June 22nd, 2021, 11:28 pm

88V8 wrote:Last Thursday week I did something nasty to my ribs, sternum or more likely the connecting cartilage.
Twelve days on it's still very painful. Probably no better at all. I would instantly pay £100 not to sneeze.

Our GP practice is offering telephone appointments only, as far as they are concerned the pandemic is still in full force and effect.
A locum calls you... he said to take paracetamol...

I have in mind booking a private MRI scan. I see I can do that online.

I realise that usually damage in that area is left to heal in its own time, so probably the outcome will be No Action, but I would like to know what the damage is.

Any experience with booking and following up one's own scan?

V8


Check with the clinic if they have someone who can look at the scan for you for diagnosis
- or with your GP as to whether you can have the results forwarded to them for review

you can expect to be presented with a DVD ROM of data, which is always fun to look at (there'll probably be a viewer app along with the data) but not much use in a clinical setting without someone trained to read it; which is normally quite a different skill set from the people who are trained to take the scans

good luck - chest stuff can be alarming and painful

- sd

scrumpyjack
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4809
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:15 am
Has thanked: 605 times
Been thanked: 2673 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421534

Postby scrumpyjack » June 23rd, 2021, 10:20 am

You could go and see a good osteopath. I took my wife to one recently and she was really excellent and able to diagnose that my wife's hip problems were due not to the 30 yr old hip replacement wearing out but to muscle problems. 2 more sessions sorted it out.

stevensfo
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3435
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 8:43 am
Has thanked: 3805 times
Been thanked: 1397 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421536

Postby stevensfo » June 23rd, 2021, 10:22 am

servodude wrote:
88V8 wrote:Last Thursday week I did something nasty to my ribs, sternum or more likely the connecting cartilage.
Twelve days on it's still very painful. Probably no better at all. I would instantly pay £100 not to sneeze.

Our GP practice is offering telephone appointments only, as far as they are concerned the pandemic is still in full force and effect.
A locum calls you... he said to take paracetamol...

I have in mind booking a private MRI scan. I see I can do that online.

I realise that usually damage in that area is left to heal in its own time, so probably the outcome will be No Action, but I would like to know what the damage is.

Any experience with booking and following up one's own scan?

V8


Check with the clinic if they have someone who can look at the scan for you for diagnosis
- or with your GP as to whether you can have the results forwarded to them for review

you can expect to be presented with a DVD ROM of data, which is always fun to look at (there'll probably be a viewer app along with the data) but not much use in a clinical setting without someone trained to read it; which is normally quite a different skill set from the people who are trained to take the scans

good luck - chest stuff can be alarming and painful

- sd


I admit to not having a lot of experience with accelerated ( I hate the term 'private') treatment in the UK, but if you book an MRI scan, does it not include any analysis of the results?

Please be careful if you ask your GP to look at it, rather than a specialist. I know someone whose GP prescribed an MRI scan of their knee, glanced at it briefly then said there was nothing wrong. Two years later, after the problem persisted, a specialist looked at the scan and was horrified that the GP hadn't examined it properly. The patient had ripped a major piece of cartilage and required an operation to replace it with cartilage taken from the thigh.


Steve

richfool
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3492
Joined: November 19th, 2016, 2:02 pm
Has thanked: 1193 times
Been thanked: 1280 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421572

Postby richfool » June 23rd, 2021, 11:46 am

88V8 wrote:I have in mind booking a private MRI scan. I see I can do that online.

I realise that usually damage in that area is left to heal in its own time, so probably the outcome will be No Action, but I would like to know what the damage is.

Any experience with booking and following up one's own scan?



My GP referred me to a rheumatologist consultant when trying to diagnose chest pain I was having. (That was after having previously ruled out various other possible causes include cardiac related ones). The rheumatologist then sent me for an MRI scan and did the interpretation in conjunction with the MRI specialist..

So I guess you could ask your GP to refer you to a rheumatologist for that purpose, privately, or through the NHS; or directly to the MRI Dept specialist, as I would think he could interpret the scan.

GrahamPlatt
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2059
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:40 am
Has thanked: 1032 times
Been thanked: 822 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421580

Postby GrahamPlatt » June 23rd, 2021, 12:09 pm

Do not expect your GP to attempt to interpret a private MRI scan. Really, why do people even consider it their responsibility, never mind within their competence? (it’s neither). You are probably best phoning the GP and asking for a referral to get a private scan and if they don’t manage to dissuade you, and you do end up going to “the golden nugget”, at least you”ll also be assured it’ll be reported appropriately.

GrahamPlatt
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2059
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:40 am
Has thanked: 1032 times
Been thanked: 822 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421604

Postby GrahamPlatt » June 23rd, 2021, 1:20 pm

PS - GP might prescribe you some decent analgesics.

PhaseThree

Re: Private MRI scan

#421633

Postby PhaseThree » June 23rd, 2021, 3:42 pm

The other route to take would be via A+E. Tell them that your doctor has been unable to diagnose the problem over the phone and see what they come up with.

88V8
Lemon Half
Posts: 5766
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:22 am
Has thanked: 4096 times
Been thanked: 2558 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#421689

Postby 88V8 » June 23rd, 2021, 6:33 pm

Thankyou all.

Good point about MRI interpretation being a specialist matter - didn't know that.

The locum also prescribed codeine but I have tried to hold off taking it as I fear exacerbating whatever the trouble is. Pain can be a useful limiter!

Currently the muscle protests are almost worse than the injury... between the shoulder blades, around the right side, the muscles stab me in random fashion and my posture has gone to pot. Previously this went off overnight, but last night not.

I've emailed a local private hospital - my wife had her hip done there and the free biscuits in the patient waiting area are yummy.

Health is a fragile thing.

V8

88V8
Lemon Half
Posts: 5766
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:22 am
Has thanked: 4096 times
Been thanked: 2558 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422778

Postby 88V8 » June 27th, 2021, 10:12 am

Yesterday having slept in my day clothes for the second night, awoke at 0500h with my back and chest muscles screeching.
At 0700h, OH called an ambulance. Only my second ever ambulatory experience.

A day in A&E. Obsession with heart checking. Eventually an X-ray then another.

Cracked sternum and muscle inflammation. At least now I know there is nothing worse.

The timing in A&E was fortuitous. They were not overrun with drunks... just two and they were pretty quiet.

A far cry from the experience of private medicine, nevertheless a result.
But no biscuits :(

V8

servodude
Lemon Half
Posts: 8271
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 5:56 am
Has thanked: 4434 times
Been thanked: 3564 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422783

Postby servodude » June 27th, 2021, 10:25 am

88V8 wrote:Yesterday having slept in my day clothes for the second night, awoke at 0500h with my back and chest muscles screeching.
At 0700h, OH called an ambulance. Only my second ever ambulatory experience.

A day in A&E. Obsession with heart checking. Eventually an X-ray then another.

Cracked sternum and muscle inflammation. At least now I know there is nothing worse.

The timing in A&E was fortuitous. They were not overrun with drunks... just two and they were pretty quiet.

A far cry from the experience of private medicine, nevertheless a result.
But no biscuits :(

V8


Ouch.
Having cracked ribs before I can sympathize.
But now you know what it is... take the Codeine and take it easy

Good luck
-sd

doolally
Lemon Slice
Posts: 631
Joined: February 8th, 2021, 10:55 am
Has thanked: 107 times
Been thanked: 509 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422839

Postby doolally » June 27th, 2021, 1:08 pm

88V8 wrote:Yesterday having slept in my day clothes for the second night, awoke at 0500h with my back and chest muscles screeching.
At 0700h, OH called an ambulance. Only my second ever ambulatory experience.

A day in A&E. Obsession with heart checking. Eventually an X-ray then another.

Cracked sternum and muscle inflammation. At least now I know there is nothing worse.

The timing in A&E was fortuitous. They were not overrun with drunks... just two and they were pretty quiet.

A far cry from the experience of private medicine, nevertheless a result.
But no biscuits :(

V8

A very far cry. I strongly suspect that private medicine would not have provided an ambulance or A&E

doolally

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 18674
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 628 times
Been thanked: 6557 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422843

Postby Lootman » June 27th, 2021, 1:20 pm

doolally wrote:. I strongly suspect that private medicine would not have provided an ambulance or A&E

There is nothing inherent about running A&E operations or running and deploying a fleet of ambulances that requires someone to be paid by the government. Most ER (as they call it there) provision in the US is privately operated.

The problem in the UK is that when you have a vast subsidised system operating A&E as part of a national network, then it is very hard for any private competitor to build up a critical mass of facilities and locations.

Private healthcare tends to operate in certain niche fields that are viable. A&E provision would be the last service I would expect to ever see privatised due to its very nature. And the fact that a lot of people who use A&E don't have a lot of money.

With something like this I would have seen a private consultant specialising in cardiothoracic medicine. He/she would have in turn ordered whatever X-rays and MRIs that were needed. The ability to bypass a GP and go directly to a specialist is one of the key advantages of private healthcare, as well as not having to wait of course.

scrumpyjack
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4809
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:15 am
Has thanked: 605 times
Been thanked: 2673 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422845

Postby scrumpyjack » June 27th, 2021, 1:25 pm

I have twice had to hire a private stretcher ambulance for my disabled daughter. There is no problem hiring them.

pje16
Lemon Half
Posts: 6050
Joined: May 30th, 2021, 6:01 pm
Has thanked: 1843 times
Been thanked: 2066 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#422856

Postby pje16 » June 27th, 2021, 2:11 pm

I had open heart surgery in 2019
so I FULLY sympathise with the excruciating rib pains when coughing, laughing and sneeezing is a b*astard
Not sure if the hospital or anyone else told you this
but get a towel fold in half an roll up so it's like a tube, secure with rubber bands or tape
before a cough put it on your chest, fold both arms around it and hug yourself
It helps stop the "pull" on your ribs
Good luck with having the time to do it before a sneeze though !

redsturgeon
Lemon Half
Posts: 8910
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:06 am
Has thanked: 1309 times
Been thanked: 3665 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#427032

Postby redsturgeon » July 12th, 2021, 1:26 pm

Why not just go to a private GP, get them to examine you and point you at the right private specialist if necessary.

John

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 18674
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 628 times
Been thanked: 6557 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#427058

Postby Lootman » July 12th, 2021, 2:48 pm

redsturgeon wrote:Why not just go to a private GP, get them to examine you and point you at the right private specialist if necessary.

He could do that. Although one of the great advantages of going private is that you do not need a gatekeeper at all. You can bypass GPs altogether and find a private specialist directly. Harley Street is full of them.

redsturgeon
Lemon Half
Posts: 8910
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:06 am
Has thanked: 1309 times
Been thanked: 3665 times

Re: Private MRI scan

#427075

Postby redsturgeon » July 12th, 2021, 3:50 pm

Lootman wrote:
redsturgeon wrote:Why not just go to a private GP, get them to examine you and point you at the right private specialist if necessary.

He could do that. Although one of the great advantages of going private is that you do not need a gatekeeper at all. You can bypass GPs altogether and find a private specialist directly. Harley Street is full of them.


You can but it is sometimes best to have someone who can point you in the right direction, unless you personally know the consultant you need. We are fortunate in having many friends in the medical profession so usually know who we wish to see but for someone not used to it then a GP gatekeeper can help. We also use private GPs from time to time for speed and convenience...they are not expensive.

Not all people live close to Harley Street (although one member of our family lives within a mile)

John


Return to “Health & Wellbeing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests