“I emailed my MRI report” does not necessarily mean the overseas surgeon has seen the images. A radiology report is an interpretation written in text; the MRI study itself usually consists of many image files in a medical imaging format such as DICOM. A surgeon planning a procedure may need both, along with the history of the symptoms and any previous intervention.
Ask for a complete study export
Contact the imaging facility and request the study in its original medical-image format, plus the written report and study date. Some facilities supply a patient portal download, a CD or a secure transfer link. Verify that the download actually opens before your consultation. A screenshot from a phone is not a substitute for a full clinical study.
Have the receiving clinic specify its workflow
Ask whether the Colombian service accepts DICOM uploads and whether it has a secure portal or an established image-transfer partner. Confirm the destination and clinician identity. A large archive emailed to an unknown address risks privacy and version confusion; avoid sending sensitive data until you understand the recipient and transfer method.
Use a precise file label
Keep patient name or another agreed identifier, examination date, body region and facility name with the files. Do not edit medical image metadata casually, because orientation, sequence details and timing may be clinically relevant. If translation of the radiology report is needed, ask whether the clinician needs a certified translation or can review the original.
The overseas clinician must make the final call
Even good scans may not answer a new clinical question, and surgical candidacy can change between imaging and travel. Ask whether additional examination or repeat imaging is necessary before you make a nonrefundable payment. A provider cannot responsibly guarantee surgery based only on a forwarded image set.
- Request both DICOM files and the radiologist’s report
- Verify that image files open and are complete
- Ask the overseas clinic for its secure upload process
- Confirm identity and records-handling policy
- Request written confirmation that a clinician reviewed the study
The decision, not just the date
Sending medical records is a planning step, not an authorization to operate. Keep your original images for your treating doctor at home and request a copy of every new study done abroad.
Guidance and published measures were checked in October 2026. Statistics and eligibility rules can change; verify the current version before acting.
Compare options without guessing
Tell us the procedure, where you are waiting and what timeline you have been given. We can help organize questions to ask potential providers and discuss nonbinding private-care options. No procedure date, price, funding or medical suitability is guaranteed. This is an information and referral service, not a clinical assessment.