# Anyone else have a problem with size limits on hospital equipment



## NewfieGal (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi was just wondering if anyone has had trouble get diagnostic imaging done due to a weight limit size on the machinery... I live in a country where growing obesity is prevalent yet the equipment hospitals purchase are not up to par at least not here where I live... I was supposed to get a Bone scan, had to drive 2 and a half hours to nearest regional hospital that does them, the weather was the pits and my brother had to take me as I don't drive in the snow(yes I am too chicken)... when I got in for my appointment the lady asked my weight and height which I gave her, she left and then came back to tell me sorry the limit for the machine was 300 lbs and she couldn't do the test... so I had to take a day off work, drag my brother through crappy weather, gas here isn't cheap and then they couldn't help me, does this make any sense? I think every diagnostic machine should have a limit of at least a 1000 lbs, i mean I know 300 might seem like a high limit but it really isn't' realistically... guess bigger folks like me don't need those kinda tests... anyone else face this problem?


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## CastingPearls (Jan 18, 2012)

A lot of us call ahead to ask if there is a weight restriction on whatever equipment is being used. Usually we figure this out after we have a situation like yours and someone here mentions it. I've also asked my GM outright if he knows the diagnostic center or lab and if his staff can call ahead and they have.

I know that there are many diagnostic centers now that have higher weight limits which makes sense because a lot of professional football players are over 350 lbs. and many are very big around and have to be able to fit in the machines when injured--big big money at their zillion dollar pro-sports medical facilities, so it trickles down to the little guy here eventually at our centers. 

I had a problem once when I was in the ER and they wanted to do a sonogram of my thigh (to check for blood clots) and they couldn't get a good reading but it had more to do with soundwaves traveling through fat than my actual weight. A lot of people here on Dimensions have had issues much like yours.


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## danbsc29630 (Jan 18, 2012)

Yea, I think 300 is just way too light duty for any equipment.


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## NewfieGal (Jan 19, 2012)

I work in a hospital as well, it is a much smaller hospital then the large regional one, I have never had trouble getting things done here, and we have weight scales that go to 400lbs and our lift equipment for non weight bearing people goes from 450 to 1000 lbs... it didn't occur to me to call ahead I mean the general population is larger now then it used to be, you would think they would be sat up better then that, but oh well guess its either get a different kinda test or get down to 300lbs lol


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## Victoria08 (Jan 20, 2012)

I had to have an MRI right after Christmas and it turned out to be such a horrible experience because of my size. The nurse first made comments about the hospital gowns not being able to fit me and that I'd have to wear 2 gowns instead, and then she said we had to do a test run in the MRI machine to make sure i'd "actually fit". For someone still struggling with size/weight acceptance, that was not the right way to say it. There were more people in the room than necessary -just to watch me get in this machine and make sure nothing breaks. It was a tight fit...I weight 295lbs, of course it's going to be a tight fit...but the pressure I was feeling from the nurse's comments and the feeling of the machine walls rubbing against me made me have a full blown anxiety attack. It was awful.
I think all medical machines should have a higher weight/size limit, and I think people working in the hospitals should be more aware of what the say to certain patients in situations like mine.


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## CameoRose (Jan 20, 2012)

I too needed an MRI of my knee and as soon as the tech saw me he said "you won't fit in the machine" and handed me my paperwork back. I had so many mixed emotions! I wanted to cry I wanted to slap him and I just stood there not knowing what to do.


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## Orchid (Jan 21, 2012)

in 2001 when I was at my largest I was forcefully squeezed into an MRI machine it felt like being a human sausage breadroll not nice
(luckily now that I have a pacemaker I am not allowed into or near an MRI)


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## moore2me (Jan 29, 2012)

NewfieGal, 
*I totally agree with CastingPearls on this one - call ahead, in fact make a pest out of yourself doing it if necessary*. I have been in the same situation as you with hospital test equipment and have learned a few things that help.

One is to get a list going of the equipment that will take fat bodies. This is a sliding scale too. Some devices have a limit of 500 lbs. Some devices have a limit of 750 lbs, etc. Your best bet is to find a hospital that does WLS (weight loss surgery) 'cause they often have machines that can handle larger bodies. I usually call the hospital's imaging office directly myself and verify the info with the supervisor of the dept that runs the test I am to have. The only draw back is some of the more open machines do not get as good of resolution (picture quality) as the smaller machines. However, the newer MRIs have overcome most of these issues.

*Second, if you're getting a MRI, ask for an OPEN MRI machine*. It is like a table instead of being like a tunnel. You can also ask for a sedative before you go inside, but your GP or doc that orders the test should give you this before you go. This makes the test a little more fun - more like a ride at Disneyland than being buried alive. You just have to bring a ride home. Most of the MRI folks will let you bring a recorded CD or two of music and play it for you, to help you stay calm too. Don't drink too much before you go inside the machine tho, you may have to be in there for an hour or two before you can pee.

*Third, keep a cool head about you if things go south. I have a brain disease that requires MRIs every couple of years.* So, I have had the distinct pleasure of having at least a half dozen or more MRIs. I have also had three major surgeries and a couple of accidents that required other scanning equipment. *If the machine doesn't look right (too small, too high, the technician or attendant has a crappy attitude) I will and have turned and walked out. I am not getting my fat ass in something that looks like I will need the fire dept to pull me out of.* I try and be courteous to the staff, and treat them with respect. However, I am likely to morph into Hogzilla if I get pushed too far - something that happens if my temper gets rilled up.

*Don't forget you are the customer in this deal and you deserve a high quality of customer care.* One MRI test may cost thousands of dollars or more depending on the fancy frills. Sometimes they shot dyes inside of you to watch how things move. Your insurance or your health care agent is paying for these tests - so you need to get your money's worth and value from the information that the scans are supposed to give. You also deserve and should demand a high quality of care and service from the hospital staff.


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## Orchid (Aug 17, 2020)

Orchid said:


> in 2001 when I was at my largest I was forcefully squeezed into an MRI machine it felt like being a human sausage breadroll not nice
> (luckily now that I have a pacemaker I am not allowed into or near an MRI)



Question now in 2020, what option is there, instead of MRI?


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## Orchid (Mar 29, 2021)

Does anyone know this?


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## Rob hudson (Mar 30, 2021)

I've been hearing about the possibillity of nano technology. They inject a bunch of little machines and they circulate through the blood and collect diagnostic data. Have no idea how far along this concept is, however.


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## Orchid (Mar 30, 2021)

I sometimes go look at www.medgadget.com see what new things they have for us patients.


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## Rob hudson (Mar 30, 2021)

My biggest worry with new tech is potential for abuse. For example expensive technology like nano. Going down that rabit hole involves discussing bio ethics and the who-is-worthy-of-life debate. While there are indeed exciting developments in the tech sphere, there's also ominous corresponding movements deciding who gets to use that tech.


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## Orchid (Mar 30, 2021)

Yes the who is worthy is indeed important.
And not all of us want to be sort of semi-borg.


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## Rob hudson (Mar 30, 2021)

Orchid said:


> Yes the who is worthy is indeed important.
> And not all of us want to be sort of semi-borg.



If you're really interested in traveling down a crazy rabit hole, have a look at transhumanism.


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## Tracyarts (Apr 3, 2021)

I just got referred for a cardiac angiogram at a hospital that has a cath lab table that can accommodate a 525 pound person. Technically the table is rated for 550, but my doctor likes to keep a bit of room for possible equipment weight too. That's pretty awesome, last time I was trying to get one, the weight limit was 350 and I couldn't have the procedure because I was over the limit. 

This week I had a chest CT scan in a typical donut shaped CT scan machine and it was a close fit, but I got it done. The weight limit of the table was 450 pounds, but depending on how your body is shaped, large people within the weight limit may or may not fit in the scanner opening.


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## Tracyarts (Apr 13, 2021)

Well yeah this is a problem. My insurance company is requiring a stress test before the angiogram. But the table used to do stress tests cannot accommodate bariatric patients. The angiogram table can. But I can't have the stress test on the angiogram table. So important health care procedures are now on hold while my cardiologist tries to find a hospital in my insurance network that can accommodate my body for a stress test now. They exist. I've had one before. But due to the pandemic, scheduling is problematic.


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## BigElectricKat (Apr 13, 2021)

Rob hudson said:


> I've been hearing about the possibillity of nano technology. They inject a bunch of little machines and they circulate through the blood and collect diagnostic data. Have no idea how far along this concept is, however.


Closer than you'd think.


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## Rob hudson (Apr 13, 2021)

BigElectricKat said:


> Closer than you'd think.


And scarier than you think lol.


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## Orchid (Apr 13, 2021)

I had stress test in different EU countries and it is on a bicycle. My much older cousin lives overseas she had hers on a threadmill.
AHA stress test for folks who do not know what it is. 


https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/health-topics/answers-by-heart/what-is-a-stress-test.pdf


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## Tracyarts (Apr 13, 2021)

I'm not able to do a stress test on a treadmill or stationary bicycle due to mobility limitations. If a patient can't use a treadmill or stationary bicycle, they put them in a state of exertion using a drug/chemical instead. I've heard it called a chemical stress test. 

The first time I had it done I was then seated on a strange bench contraption with my arms raised, that rotated in front of a scanner. But I am above the weight limit for that piece of equipment at that clinic now. 

The second time I had it done, was at a very large hospital. I was laying on a narrow table with my arms above my head and was passed through a ring shaped scanner. But the table for the device like that at the hospital my doctor wanted to send me to this week won't accommodate my weight. 

My doctor will just have to find a different hospital in my insurance network with the equipment that can accommodate my current weight. The hospital I had it done at before and know can accommodate me has limited outpatient scheduling due to the pandemic. 

It's frustrating. I know there is diagnostic imaging equipment in the Houston area that can accommodate my body. But the problems are whether the facility accepts my medical insurance, if they are currently scheduling outpatient appointments, and if my doctor is in some way affiliated with the facility. 



Orchid said:


> I had stress test in different EU countries and it is on a bicycle. My much older cousin lives overseas she had hers on a threadmill.
> AHA stress test for folks who do not know what it i
> 
> 
> https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/health-topics/answers-by-heart/what-is-a-stress-test.pdf


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## Tracyarts (May 3, 2021)

I finally got booked for a stress test at a hospital that can accommodate my weight this week. Unfortunately it's almost 2 hours away and I have to go twice. But, it needs to be done so I'll just have to go where I have to. 

Yeah, it's not as much an accessibility problem as a pandemic problem. There are easily 4 hospitals in the TX medical center in downtown Houston that are bariatric accessible. And an hour closer to me. But, these huge central hospitals are still in pandemic mode and where the sickest Covid patients are being treated. Patients are being diverted to satellite hospitals, especially for outpatient services. Unfortunately the smaller satellite hospitals aren't as well funded and up to date and may have some bariatric accessible pieces of equipment but not others. 

I just found out that one of the central hospitals I could have used has identified the new Indian Covid variant in a couple of patients in the Covid ward, so yeah...it's not a place for chronically ill outpatients, even fully vaccinated ones, to go for diagnostic tests right now.


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## op user (May 5, 2021)

I hope you manage to get the test done rapidly Tracyarts


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## Tracyarts (May 6, 2021)

op user said:


> I hope you manage to get the test done rapidly Tracyarts



I had it done in two parts Monday and Tuesday. Everything went fine. The stress part wasn't as bad as when I had it done before. It made me feel uncomfortable but it wasn't really bad. Obviously they didn't find anything really abnormal because my doctor would have let me know today. So the next step is to have the cardiologist go over the results with me and see what comes next in the diagnosis process.


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## Tracyarts (May 24, 2021)

So I go for another CT scan this week. Thankfully there is a 450 lb weight capacity CT scan table at a hospital a half hour from my home. So no all day road trip this time. I may have to take a day trip for another diagnostic procedure next month because there's no hospital closer than 2.5 hours away that is both accepting outpatients and can accommodate my body on the exam table in the room used for this procedure. 

I have been taking notes of which hospitals can accommodate me for which specific scans and procedures. It's getting to be a pain in the ass.


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## Tracyarts (Jun 5, 2021)

Well the latest scan went smoothly, only took about 10 minutes, just on the table and through the scanner ring. Nothing super concerning showed up, so I'm waiting to find out what comes next. Looks like this may all be autoimmune related after all, but there are a few things left to rule out first. I may not be getting the angiogram because nothing concerning showed up on the stress test and my current insurance company won't approve a cardiac catheterization on a medically high risk patient without a documented problem to investigate. So no "this is the gold standard test, it will rule out everything, let's go for it". Not for someone in my overall poor health at least.


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## Orchid (Apr 14, 2022)

Yesterday at hospital was a relief I fit in chair and even have some spare area instead of snug fit. Lost weight due to loss of appetite, arthritis jaw issues etc.

Oral surgery chair we only get local anesthesia.


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