the test probably doesnt even exist or if it does, they only do it if someone is on their deathbed or something. its brutal.
I understand that the tests are only used for specific indications, which is true in the US as well, except the controllers are the insurance companies. Depending on your insurance it can be easy or nearly impossible to get a test approved, meaning that insurance will pay for some or all of it. Of course, in the US, if your doctor orders a test, you have the option to pay for it out-of-pocket if you have the means.
about the venogram...i see the word "angio"....doesnt that mean invasive? angiogram of heart they insert catheter etc....
True, most cardiac angiograms are still done the invasive way. However, newer technology allows studies of vessels using MRI, even of coronary vessels. Here's a quote from a
good discussion of this from Johns Hopkins: "Unlike a traditional angiogram, which requires inserting a catheter into the body, magnetic resonance angiography is a far less invasive and less painful test." Here's another
discussion of MR angiography and it's various applications.
I had an MR angiogram of my brain (without contrast in my case) when I was first diagnosed with EDS, to make sure I didn't have any nasty aneurysms lurking in there (I didn't). Maybe more brain angiograms are done with MRI than cardiac, because of the reduced risk.
The word
angio means "relating to blood vessels" and
gram means "record or picture", so
angiogram simply means "picture of blood vessels" with no implication of how the picture is acquired.
I don't know which tests are available in Canada or how it's determined that you need a certain test. I did find reference to MR angiography at the
Critical Care Trauma Centre in London, Ontario, which suggests to me that they do this test there, at least. Probably it is available at any of the university hospitals.
In the US, I would suggest once you found out exactly what test the neurosurgeon you are talking to wants done (I see you wrote that he wanted, "MRI with contrast (gadolinium enhanced) angio/venogram of the head and neck, study of intracranial arteries, veins, and sinuses down to the subaortic trunks" which means, in essence an "MRA of the head and neck", looking into what facilities provide it, and asking a doctor to order it for you. Or, if the ordering doctor is experienced in the area, he or she will likely direct you to a facility that does it. With insurance involved, that doctor would likely need to be willing to pursue prior authorization procedures (justifying the need for the exam and persuading the insurance that the exam is medically necessary). I don't know how it works in Canada.