Are People Actually Getting MRI Scans at Zoos?

People on social media, specifically TikTok, have come up to speak about their experiences being required to get their MRI scans at zoos due to exceeding the weight limit of the standard, made-for-humans MRI scanners. But are these stories actually true?

In general, most typical MRI scanners (Magnetic Resonance Imaging, used for 2D and 3D cross sectional images of internal structures including organs) range from a 300-400 pound weight limit; however, the majority of MRI scanners at zoos have a weight limit from 1,000 to 2,000 pound weight limit. People who exceed the weight limit of typical MRI machines at hospitals are being rumored to be referred to their local zoos.

@flossie81 on TikTok shared her experience of being recommended for an MRI scan at a zoo. She stated that when speaking to her endocrinologist, she was told, “If you have trouble finding somewhere to get your MRI, you can try the zoo. Elephants get MRIs at the zoo, and I have had a couple patients go there.” She found the interaction funny rather than offensive and was excited at the possibility of getting a “behind the scenes” of the zoo, but many others who were also suggested the zoological facilities for an MRI scan have not found the option as amusing.

The credibility of these claims have been debated heavily on TikTok. Registered radiologic technologist Jenn (@aradfrog on TikTok) commented on a TikTok post, “As a radiologic technologist, yes, we do send patients to the zoo. It is not publicized nor would the majority of employees at the location, whether it’s zoo or sea world, even know about it. It is dehumanizing; that is why we keep it very quiet.” 

In reply, another registered radiologic technologist (@aturtle) said, “This is awful coming from a tech. You may send people to a zoo’s MRI machine, but that doesn’t mean it happened. [...] It is an urban myth. I am an MRI tech myself.” However, @aradfrog subsequently responded to @aturtle, and changed @aturtle’s position on the topic who then agreed to varying policies in separate medical facilities.

Even individuals who do not exceed the weight limit of standard MRI machines have been referred to zoos for scans. 

A woman, @scoopwithcoop on TikTok, openly struggles with cervical stenosis. According to the Cleveland Clinic website, cervical spinal stenosis is a medical condition meaning the space surrounding the spinal cord has become too narrow which affects the nerves and spinal cord functions. This condition requires a large amount of MRI scans, as @scoopwithcoop says just in the last eight months she has gotten three MRI scans and is currently in need of finding a facility to get another. She has been searching for a place with an open MRI, calling hospitals and researching, but ultimately has not found any available to get scanned at. After the idea was suggested to her by her father, she tried calling the San Diego Zoo and was successful in booking an MRI scan.

TikTok has taken this concept and exploded with responses to the solution to the MRI machines with capped weights and limited availability. People have had mixed opinions on the topic, ranging from calling it a “wakeup call” for obese individuals and others upset about the dehumanization people face being forced to get scanned alongside zoo animals. 

According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine titled “The challenge of CT and MRI imaging of obese individuals who present to the emergency department: a national survey,” only 10% of hospitals with emergency departments had large-capacity CT scanners (computed tomography, used for cross sectional images of a body) and only 8% had large-capacity MRI scanners that accommodate individuals over 450 pounds. Researchers also found that it was more typical for academic hospitals (a hospital tied to a university) to have large-capacity machines, and in more rural and remote communities there tends to be a more limited availability of large-capacity scanners. The study concludes that individuals over 450 pounds face significant barriers in the process of finding an MRI machine suitable for them.

While receiving an MRI scan at a zoo isn’t a common practice, it is not simply a rumor. Limited access to large capacity CT and MRI scanners create barriers for individuals who exceed the standard weight limit of most scanners, specifically in rural and remote communities. Social media alone cannot be used as a basis to determine the frequency of patients actually getting MRI scans at zoos, but the study published by the National Library of Medicine supports the overall argument that large-capacity MRI scan availability is extremely limited. 

Regardless of weight, every patient should be treated respectfully and provided with the same opportunities for necessary care, without insulting or dehumanizing them due to their size. Healthcare institutions and systems should focus on expanding their medical equipment to appropriately treat each patient fairly and equally, rather than forcing patients to seek alternative, degrading solutions.