About Your Visit
What to expect
Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will give you time to fill out any necessary forms and change into scrubs if needed.
Our MRI scanners are wide open on both ends, well lit and ventilated. One is even designed to accommodate larger patients.
For the scan, your MRI technologist will put you into position on the MRI bed. A device called a coil will be positioned around the area of your body we are scanning. Once you’re comfortable, the technologist will move the table into the MRI scanner. You will be able to speak to and hear the MRI technologist over an intercom.
The equipment does not touch your body but you will hear buzzing and tapping noises from the machine. We will supply you with ear plugs and/or headphones, and can talk with you throughout the tests. Some patients also find it comforting to have a cloth or other item covering their eyes, which can help if you are feeling claustrophobic. We have all of these aids available for you.
Depending on your test, you may receive an injection during the MRI after initial images are taken. The injection is a “contrast” dye that helps to differentiate normal from abnormal tissues. Some patients describe a metallic taste or cool sensation after the injection. This is normal and usually subsides quickly.
The scan takes between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on the purpose of your scan.
