Typically you will lie on your back for an MRI. If it is painful for you to lie on your back or in the same position for long periods of time, you may want to speak to your physician about taking something for the pain before your MRI. Also, if you are claustrophobic, speak to your physician prior to your appointment.
The patient should lie in a supine position, and the center of the sternum must be aligned with the center of the spine coil.
Our experienced team can suggest different positions, like laying on your side in some cases, and can also provide additional pillows or cushions to ensure you're comfortable.
It's important that patients remove all clothing prior to their MRI exam. We ask patients to remove: All outer clothing, including shoes. Bras or any undergarment that could have metal in it.
Patients can be positioned in several different ways.
The Upright MRI is the only MRI scanner that can image patients in any position, whether it's sitting, standing, bending or lying down. This allows it to image any part of the body. All other MRIs can only scan patients while laying down.
Since the MRI machines are magnets, it is best to not apply deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, or body lotions before the examination. These items contain metals that might interfere with the magnetic field inside the MRI machine and cause you to have distorted images and wrong results.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is a painless procedure that lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and the number of images being taken.
Keep your eyes closed or even wear a blindfold.
It's much easier in an open MRI it's wider than a standard scanner, so patients shouldn't feel any walls touching them.
If You Have an Overactive Bladder
This feeling of urgency can make it harder to hold urine in. While you may still experience this urgency to a degree, not drinking for several hours before your procedure can make you less likely to experience incontinence during the scan.
Experiencing anxiety during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure is common. The machines are noisy (because of the banging metal coils, vibrating with rapid pulses of electricity), and claustrophobic for some. There is nothing to fear, however. MRIs are painless and they are over within minutes.
You will not be able to have breakfast the morning of your surgery. You can brush your teeth in the morning, just be sure to spit the water out!
What medications are used? Propofol will be given through an I.V. to induce sleep. This medication has a short duration of action and a rapid recovery time and is administered to make sure you remain asleep during the entire MRI study.
Getting an MRI can take between 15-90 minutes, so remember to use the restroom before your scan begins because you won't get another chance until your scan is over. Usually if you stop drinking water for 1-2 hours before your appointment, you should be all right.
There are no food or drink restrictions prior to the MRI exam. Continue to take any medication prescribed by your doctor unless otherwise directed.
Some cosmetics contain metals that can interact with MRI magnets, so on the day of the MRI don't wear makeup or nail polish. Also, minimize hair products and forgo antiperspirants and sunscreens, which contain metals, just to be safe.
Many MRI procedures don't require your head to go inside the machine at all, but if you need a head or upper spine MRI, you'll appreciate the fact our machine provides a full 12 inches of clearance between your face and the wall – relieving stress for our patients with claustrophobia.
There aren't any side-effects from the MRI scan itself. However, if you've had an injection of contrast medium (dye) as part of the investigation, you may have some side-effects which might include a skin rash, dizziness, a headache, and nausea.
According to the FDA, second-degree burns are the most reported MRI safety issue. Burns associated with the MRI's radiofrequency (RF) field can occur in a variety of ways, the most obvious of which is when a patient comes in contact with the bore during scanning.
You won't have pain from the magnetic field or radio waves used for the MRI test. But you may be tired or sore from lying in one position for a long time. If a contrast material is used, you may feel some coolness when it is put into your IV.
MRI is also contraindicated in the presence of internal metallic objects such as bullets or shrapnel, as well as surgical clips, pins, plates, screws, metal sutures, or wire mesh. If you are pregnant or suspect that you may be pregnant, you should notify your physician.
The test usually takes 30 to 60 minutes but can take as long as 2 hours.