My son is seeing the NS tomorrow for the first time, he has only had an MRI of the brain, which showed he had a 3-5mm tonsillar herniation, are there some specfic tests I should ask for if the NS doesn't offer any? We are seeing Dr. Stephen Fletcher and I have heard he specializes in Chiari, but have read mixed reviews about him.
jencooper0217-I would ask about an MRI of the spine as well. Some people with Chiari also have Syringomyelia. If they only did an MRI of the head, the NS will not be able to tell if there is a syrinx in the spine, which can cause serious damage and result in a lot of symptoms. You may want to bring a list of the symptoms you have observed and a list of questions.
My best advice is: Do Not hesitate to go to another NS if you are not comfortable with the encounter you have. With something like this, there is no harm in getting another opinion.