DEAR DR. GOTT: My family doctor recently sent me to have an MRI done on my head to look for possible signs of an impending aneurysm. There is a family history of this problem on my father’s side. My problem is that my shoulders are too wide and with the slightest brush, the machine reverses me out. Do these units come in larger sizes? I have still not had the test. What is available to a larger person such as myself? Any advice or suggestions you may have would be most helpful as my family GP could not provide me an alternative. Thank you.

DEAR READER: Frankly, I’m astonished, and a bit dismayed, that your physician, the technicians/radiologists and/or hospital couldn’t provide you with an answer. For individuals who don’t fit into a conventional MRI unit or have extreme fear of enclosed spaces, an open or short-bore MRI may be considered. [Read more...]