[gchappel]

Ok, this is going to get me in a bunch of hot water, but....

Suck it up. I am very sorry you have to lay still with loud banging noises for 30 min. Worse things have happened. No it is not comfortable. No it is not fun. Life isn't always fun.
No, we presently do not have an easier way to diagnose and see what we need to see.
If you are truly one of the 10-15% of the population with claustrophobia- we can work with it. Heck I can put you to sleep if you need it, but most patients are not in that group.

Your surgeon is actually trying to figure out what is going on before they slice you open.
MRI improves surgical outcomes.
MRI improves medical diagnoses. It answers questions that no other imaging can answer.

So, if you do not want an MRI just do not have one. Your choice. I am pretty sure you could find a surgeon somewhere that would operate based on a couple of Xrays. Good luck with the outcome.

Rant hat off. I am not always an AH, but this topic drives me crazy. I deal with it everyday.

gary