I couldn’t open your imaging so can’t add anything, but just to say the vertebral artery runs through the transverse processes, so there’s a limit to how much can be shaved. Depending on the doctor you see, they often check that the IJV is decompressed enough for good flow before finishing the surgery.
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“I’ve already made up my mind: I’m going to have the entire left C1 transverse process removed. The vertebral artery should be fully opened/decompressed. Even if cervical instability results, I have no choice—I need this to survive. The issue now is finding a surgeon who can do it.”
Just like m uk’s case is m uk removed entire trasverse process?
“I’ve already made up my mind: I’m going to have the entire left C1 transverse process removed. The vertebral artery should be fully opened/decompressed. Even if cervical instability results, I have no choice—I need this to survive. The issue now is finding a surgeon who can do it.”
Just like m uk’s case is m uk removed entire trasverse process?
“I’ve already made up my mind: I’m going to have the entire left C1 transverse process removed. The vertebral artery should be fully opened/decompressed. Even if cervical instability results, I have no choice—I need this to survive. The issue now is finding a surgeon who can do it.”
Just like m uk’s case was m uk removed entire trasverse process?
@TML hasn’t been on recently as he’s recovering from his surgery, so you might not get a response…
I don’t know enough to comment on what it could be.
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I am in the same situation as @Jules. I’m not sure what that spot is. If you use AI technology, you could load your image into one of the AI sites & ask if AI can identify it.
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thank your opinion
thank your opinion can you tell me ai site
That’s a good question. We’ve had several members mention they loaded their imaging into an AI site & ended up getting their ES diagnosis or more detail regarding their situation with ES, but I don’t recall if specific sites were mentioned. I’ve never used AI so don’t know how you’d get it to identify that specific spot or if it would identify it by just uploading the images you shared here. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.
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@NoneElongatedStyloid I use ChatGPT as part of my process, and it’s been a really useful tool for spotting things that might need a second look. That said, it can make mistakes, so I recommend keeping the chat focused. I’ve noticed that if you introduce multiple issues in the same thread, it can sometimes mix up which images it’s referencing. It’s been a pivotal tool in my healthcare.
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I have used Grok (it’s free if you have an X - formerly Twitter account) and it’s been excellent. ChatGPT wasn’t a lot of help for me but you could try it!
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Out of curiosity, I took an image from my MRI (last June) that ChatGPT had previously flagged as a subtle soft tissue abnormality at C1 and ran it through Grok. I had used that same image as an anchor for a second opinion, which ultimately aligned with the finding and helped identify the elongated styloids.
On the first pass, I asked Grok to assume any abnormality was not artifact, and it came back saying there were no abnormalities. When I followed up and noted that there was an acknowledged finding and highlighted the area, it then agreed and described a soft tissue lesion consistent with a styloid-related fascial band, which aligned with the second opinion.
I did like the additional context it provided once the area was identified, it was very well written. I think both tools can be helpful. Attaching the slice used, (clean and annotated) for reference.
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I would love some tips for ChatGPT, I was using the general chat but maybe I should try one of the custom GPTs? Curious what your workflow looks like 
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Or try Grok. It’s amazing what info it gives. Dr. Middleton told us not to use ChatGPT, that Grok is better, more accurate… See what you think!
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Oh sorry, I see you did mention Grok. Sorry about the repeat…
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You are fine! I actually just uploaded my 3D scan to Grok and spent the evening doing that 
. I was really surprised what new info it gave and it even caught what @Isaiah_40_31 noticed with my hyoid bone (without me prompting it).
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That’s impressive. Grok did the same for my CT scan, noting eagle’s syndrome, brachiocephalic vein compressions, military neck, etc.
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I may go back to my 3D post and add some stuff Grok mentioned (though AI isn’t perfect). I did think it was funny that without mentioning this forum, Grok told me I should consider reading and joining Living With Eagle because of the high quality of information around the condition and the doctor recommendations. Pretty neat 
.
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I usually start by uploading multiple sequential slices from an area of concern (for example the C1), since a single slice often isn’t enough to distinguish true findings from artifact, for AI or for radiologists. I ask it to analyze what it sees without any guidance first.
If it doesn’t mention something that looks off to me, I’ll annotate the image (circle, arrow, etc.) and ask specifically about that area. A lot of the time it comes back normal and explains the anatomy, which is helpful or notes something that may be relevant to symptoms. For example, I recently had a bright signal across multiple slices on a recent MRI that I thought looked off, and it turned out to be the internal jugular vein showing differently due to slower flow on that right side, but I had to ask for that clarification.
I’ll also guide it to areas that correlate with symptoms and have it walk through how that region relates to the cranial nerves, canal, thecal sac, cord, etc. and if it sees any subtle abnormalities such as soft tissue changes. I also compare findings across prior studies to look for consistency or change over time.
I’ve found it helps to keep threads separated, if they get too long or mixed, it can lose track of context. At this point, I’ve used ChatGPT long enough that it’s pretty good at anticipating what I’ll ask and helping me focus on more subtle findings.
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