Where can I get a CTV or MRV in the Northeast

I’m coming up on my 6 week post-surgery check-in with Dr. Nakaji and I’ll need to locate imaging. I’m wondering if any of you know where I could get these tests in the New York - New Jersey - Boston area? If not, where’s the closest?

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You could try calling Dr. Costantino or Dr. Liu’s ofc to ask where to get that type of imaging. I would hope someone at the front desk would know & could give you an answer. I don’t think you’d need to be a patient of either of those doctors to get an answer to a question like that.

Can you have your local primary care doctor order it?

@birdie1 has seen Dr Karthikeyan Arcot in NYU, so I would imagine could do the testing there?

How are you doing, has your surgery helped?

It’s a good question. I generally think that it isn’t ordered here in Maine and so the office doesn’t know anything about it. I guess I don’t know if this is true (I do not trust that they know what they don’t know), and I don’t want any delays.

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Thank you for the lead :cowboy_hat_face:

No, maybe just a tiny 5% improvement, but it’s generally indiscernible. I generally deem myself the worst case on record from everything I’ve read.

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@Veganchrissy - Unfortunately, we’re seeing an upswing in the number of our members who have IJV decompression surgery then need a revision surgery. It seems Drs. Costantino & Liu are the two who are doing the majority of the revisions recently.

I believe the surgeons doing decompression surgeries see the IJVs open before closing the incision, but the question is why does compression recur? Perhaps it’s because the patient is supine during surgery, but when upright post op, something shifts or changes causing the briefly, happily opened IJV to succumb to some level of compression again? I’m sorry for your situation & hope you can get the imaging you need to reveal what’s going on.

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It’s a very interesting topic.

Wouldn’t I have felt better post-surgery if this were the case? I guess I’m thinking that either the kinking never unkinked or the blood pressure is too much for the one side to handle.

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Often the other side needs doing too before symptoms resolve, we’re also seeing members who take longer than 6 weeks to see improvements with vascular symptoms, it is still relatively early days :hugs:

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I know of one case where it took 9 months before the patient had positive improvement from IJV decompression surgery. Thankfully that’s an extreme which we fortunately haven’t heard of on our forum, but at least in the end, there were good results.

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@Veganchrissy If you have not already found a facility for your CTA/CTV, I have had mine done at Anna Jacques in Newburyport, MA. They have two stellar CT scanners both a 128 slice which produces amazing imaging. The radiologist leave a lot to be desired but they are not the ones that matter, it is the actual quality of the imaging.

Just a note that the CTV series have to be requested they don’t automatically add that without it being requested.

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Thanks for that info @MGORNEAU , you’re so helpful! How is your recovery going? :folded_hands: :hugs:

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@Jules Reality, pretty brutal. I didn’t realize that after removing the C2 ganglion/nerve root, the surrounding sensory pathways can go through a period of temporary nerve hyperactivity while the nervous system adjusts. From what I’ve read, this often settles down over the following weeks, so hopefully the next month looks very different. :folded_hands:

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I’m sorry what was intended to reduce pain has increased it even if it’s temporary, @MGORNEAU. I hope you find ways to control/reduce it over the time it takes to reduce/resolve. It’s been nice having you back on the forum & a surprise that you came back so soon after your surgery. Thank you! I’ll be praying for notable healing progress for you.

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@Isaiah_40_31 Thank you :heart: It actually helps to be back. It keeps my focus on something other than the pain, and puts things in perspective with so many others dealing with pain as well. Hopefully the nerves settle down soon and I start seeing what the surgery ultimately helped. I really appreciate the prayers and good thoughts.

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I’m sorry that it’s being a rough recovery, you’ve been through enough! Praying it settles soon and sending you a hug :hugs: :folded_hands:

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