I need to make the follow up MRI/MRA appointment for Amanda for November.  She had her surgery (bilateral pial synangiosis) in Boston by DR. Scott and DR. Smith.  We see a DR. Varma here as her Neurologist.  She had her 1month check up with him, and his nurse asked us to contact Dr. Scott regarding how to order the MRI/MRA with or without contrast.  So I emailed Dr. Scott and he said in Boston their protocol is doing it without contrast and for us to contact the facility to ask what their protocol is.  I didn't want to sound stupid to him, but isn't it better to have contrast with the MRI and don't they use dimox with the MRA? Amanda had her first MRI at childrens in pittsburgh (same place we will be going to) and it was originally ordered without contrast and that 1hr mri turned into 3hours, when they found something and had to then use contrast and then she had to have the mra.  I don't want to have to put her through being stuck, but I don't want this mri to turn into something like the first time.  I thought it would be with contrast.  I havn't called them yet but I feel silly asking because I would think their going to tell me they do it however the doctor orders it.
Any suggestions?

My experience....they do the MRI with AND without contrast (without first!).

Dr. Scott doesn't used Diamox - I've never had that at all - even through my diagnostic process which was here in Philly.

-Shari

In my experence (not with Dr.Scott),  he had me have the MRA 6 months after my surgery. I am allergic to sulfa so they used and alternitive dye. i do not recall the name of it. I was told that the dye was necessacary to see the veins/bloodflow better.

From my understanding the "A" stands for angio in MRA. It is done like the MRI but uses the dye they use in an angiogram. The MRA is used when the person requests not to have an angiogram done since they go through your femeral arety and have lifting restrictions for a week after it.

Please correct me if i am wrong on my medical details.
Hope this helps,
Becky

Hi Tammy

For Luca's 6 month checkup, her surgeon in the UK requested we do a SPECT, with and without diamox. I'm not sure if a SPECT scan is the same as a MRI/MRA, but they used the same machine. The scans are supposed to be done a day apart, without dye first. It's my understanding (open to correction) that the diamox scan gives the doctors the ability to measure the amount of blood flowing through a particular area and give it a percentage, wheras without the dye they are only able to tell if it is restricted or not.

Good thread Tammy, I'm interested to hear from others who perhaps know a little more.

Take care all
Mark (Luca's Dad)

i know mri/mra .....the mra .....stands for arteries ..... i have heard of the spect but do not know a whole lot about it.

STrantas wrote on Jul 15^th, 2010 at 9:18am:

My experience....they do the MRI with AND without contrast (without first!). Dr. Scott doesn't used Diamox - I've never had that at all - even through my diagnostic process which was here in Philly. -Shari

I cannot have an MRI or MIA because I have a defibrillator. That is why I had a Spect scan. It is a two day scan as Mark say's.