New MRI 25 years post surgery - interpretation?

[elsie]

Hi,

I am 25 years post-op.  Having some recurring symptoms, Dr. Wiet and I both think could be my body's reaction to extreme stress.  He did order an MRI, though, and asked me to get the disk that I had it taken at a facility out of his network.

Couldn't help myself, but I did look at the CD and compared it to the images on-line.  There is clearly something there, but what?  I had a massive right side AN that was totally removed during my surgery.  The current image shows a complete white space on the right side, same area on the left is totally blank.  I know that we are not medical professionals here, but has anyone seen a long-time post op MRI?  Am I looking at residual from my original surgery or could this be something else?  Dr. Wiet won't get the report for two days and my anxiety now is through the roof.

[leapyrtwins]

Hi, Elsie -

I don't really know the answers to your questions but am interested to fine out what Dr. Wiet ultimately finds out.

I'm a patient of his medical partner, Dr. Battista.  Had my surgery 5/31/07 with Battista & Kazan.

It's so hard to wait for MRI results.  Hang in there!

Jan

[elsie]

Thanks for the reply.

Did a little more research - I am hopeful that it is fat, used to pack the cavity.  I thought they said it would be absorbed, but I googled post-op MRI and saw one sort of similar to mine, but closer to surgery.

Right now, that's my story and I'm sticking to it until I hear from Dr. Wiet!  No sense obsessing until I know the facts.

[leapyrtwins]

Elsie -

I've had all my post op MRIs done @ Adventist Hinsdale hospital (where my AN surgery was).  Dr. Battista always orders them with "fat-suppressing technique" so the fat in my head never shows up on my MRI.

I'm not sure all docs order post op MRIs this way; and I'm not sure all facilities have MRI machines that can do this.

I agree that you shouldn't obsess until you know the facts; I try to live my life that way too 

Best,

Jan

[elsie]

Thanks, that's where my surgery was done as well - horrible, horrible food when I was there...8 day stay and when they messed up my breakfast order on the last day and brought me that thin, watery hospital gruel, I actually broke down in tears - the orderly felt so sorry for me that she  brought a new breakfast immediately.

We tried to get the MRI done there, but the timing didn't work.   I went to North Shore - Highland Park for the MRI, still waiting for results.  If Dr. Wiet had ordered the fat suppresssing technique, I'm sure they would have it.