So my wife had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon who installed her new hip, and the doc said, “Wait a minute. Where are your X-rays?” then basically sent us away (still kept our co-pay, though :mad:). He did give us an order sheet to have a couple of views taken of her pelvis and hip.
The order sheet specified that we should carry the X-rays out of the radiology center and bring them into the next appointment. Which we did; so far, so good. Well, the surgeon looked at the X-rays, and declared himself satisfied with the results of the surgery. There will be further follow-up visits, but there will not be any further need for the films themselves.
Thing is, the doctor saw no need for him to keep the films in her chart, and instructed us to take them home with us.
So, what should we do with a couple of 14X17 films? We certainly have no place to store them. What do Dopers do with their X-rays (that the doctor doesn’t choose to keep in their chart)?
They gave you the actual films? In what archaic 20th Century radiology lab were they taken? I thought it was standard nowadays to hand you a CD-ROM. It’s cheaper and you can use the x-rays for your PC desktop afterwards.
If you really don’t want them, call your local community college and see if someone in the Biology, Anatomy and Physiology or Nursing departments want them. I brought my son’s spinal fusion x-rays in to a bunch of different classes, and they were always a hit.
I’m so surprised they are film. If you normally file stuff, they are probably too large to file upright, but they should fit flat on the bottom of a filing drawer. That’s where I have one of my cats skull rads from 2001. The rads I’ve gotten since then are all on disc, (2003, 2009, 2011) there is no film at all. Weird.
For while, I was using a lateral view of my c-spine as my Facebook profile picture. It’s easy to export a .jpg with most DICOM viewers.
Otherwise… not even my dentist uses film. Last week, I was in for an MRI and they gave me the disc on the way out. I was probably looking at the images before the radiologist.
There is still an entire generation of radiologists who prefer film, and think that it is superior. You can identify them by looking for the high-end magnifying glass sitting on their desk somewhere. That is because a lot of the early digital x ray machines did not have the resolution necessary.
Save the films - they can be fun. I have my set of historicals as well, so that I can keep an eye on any joint deterioration over time where I have been injured.
My son’s films are from Shriner’s in Chicago (well, Oak Park, I think, but they refer to it as Chicago) from 2004, 2005 and 2006. As well, I got a chest x-ray (positive PPD) in 2010, and it was film. I think you overestimate the switchover to digital - it’s in progress, but it’s not a fait accompli.
I second asking a local school if they want them. I’ve brought in x-rays from my dogs when explaining skeletal structure, and the kids were fascinated.
The radiology place may want you to return them, to keep in their files (that’s what I was told to do, the two times I had to get X-rays from one place to see a different doc).
Of course, being the slacker I am, I never did it. I think we tossed them when we moved a few years back.
With files being more electronic, it’s sort of surprising they weren’t available in electronic format.
I suggest that you do keep them. You can’t be serious about not having room for two sheets of X-ray film plus the envelope. Despite the doctor’s not wanting them, they could come in handy in determining future changes in the condition of the hip. Base line X-rays are often handy. Let’s hope you never need them again and they gather dust.
