MRI Review

If you would like to obtain an evaluation of your shoulder, Dr. Denard and Phillips are shoulder specialists who are happy to help whether it is a first evaluation or a second opinion. If you would like them to provide an opinion about a shoulder problem you can simply schedule an appointment by contacting our office. Or, if you live outside of the local area, a shoulder opinion can also be obtained by phone or video conference by simply contacting our office. Your radiographs and/or MRI can be sent in and Dr. Denard or Dr. Phillips will contact you. To schedule an appointment or to get details about an opinion by phone please call us at

In most cases, no referral is needed.

Decisions about your health are very important. Shoulder pain is no different. In fact, shoulder pain has a substantial impact on one’s quality of life from simple activities to ability to sleep. You should therefore feel informed and comfortable about your shoulder care.

Many patients like to have a “second opinion” about their shoulder. A second opinion is when another physician provides an evaluation to confirm the problem (diagnosis) or determine if there is another problem that was not previously recognized. This is common practice in medicine and very few physicians object to their patients getting another opinion.

In fact, in today’s world it is common for patients seek another opinion they trust or even travel for their medical care. Many patients for instance have been told that their rotator cuff tear cannot be repaired (irreparable), but we have found that with advanced arthroscopic techniques even many massive rotator cuff tears can in fact be improved with an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

In fact, in today’s world it is common for patients seek another opinion they trust or even travel for their medical care. Many patients for instance have been told that their rotator cuff tear cannot be repaired (irreparable), but we have found that with advanced arthroscopic techniques even many massive rotator cuff tears can in fact be improved with an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

In many cases the need for surgery can be determined by reviewing medical records, reviewing radiographs/MRI, and discussing symptoms over the phone. If surgery is a consideration and you wish to travel to have Dr. Denard or Dr. Phillips perform the surgery this can be arranged. After a phone review, an in-person visit is set-up the day before surgery to review details and confirm the need for surgery. After the surgery follow-up visits can be performed remotely through phone calls and video conferencing.

We accept most major insurance plans. The costs for an evaluation are therefore only those associated with normal medical care. If you choose to have an in-person visit or surgery these will be billed to your insurance company as standard. Out-of-pocket expenses vary by one’s insurance plan.