New MRI

[soccrwz]

How long will you go without getting updated imaging or MRI? I'm seeing some patients go for several years without a new imaging, with different pain complaints from other pain docs. For new patients how old of an MRI will you accept?

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[willabeast]

How long will you go without getting updated imaging or MRI? I'm seeing some patients go for several years without a new imaging, with different pain complaints from other pain docs. For new patients how old of an MRI will you accept?

no change in symptoms or PE then no need for MRI. in terms of CYA if patient developed a malignancy i would get a new MRI even with same old symptoms.

 

[callmeanesthesia]

Totally dependent on what they have. Stenosis I like to see an update at least every couple years if they continue to have symptoms. New symptoms, new imaging.
For patients with many years of pain and relatively minor imaging findings, those are almost always WC or Medicaid anyway, and they won’t authorize repeat imaging for unchanged pain even if it’s been years. I don’t require any imaging prior to seeing me either, but I don’t prescribe opioids so I don’t have to really worry about the “legitimacy” of their pain, and we have in house X-ray and MRI.

 

[Orin]

I don't chase new imaging unless something changes to warrant it, the exam findings/intervention response don't make sense, or I'm worried about an interventional complication.

It helps to have things far enough apart for comparisons to be apparent as biology is very slow.

Is anyone still doing bone scans to visualize joint inflammation?

 

[Dr. Ice]

Where I am horizon blue cross will not authorize an injection unless patient has had an mri within 2 years

 

[geauxg8rs]

And yet same insurance company I am sure will not authorize a new scan just cause it’s been two years.