Can someone describe the process of having an MRI scan please?

Question

Ive got to have an MRI soon, and am a bit nervous, any experiences please? just want to know what to expect really.

Do you get results same day? I live in the UK so with the NHS, so will probably takes ages for results, but as they can see the info right in front of them, can they tell you anything on the day?

Answer 1

An mri, you lay down in this flat bed, they give you ear plugs
and roll you in this machine that looks like a tunnel, when doing the mri it is very noisy, your are in it for about 20-45 minutes, still not to move, then in 1-2 weeks you get to see the doctor so the he can give you your results.

Answer 2

I work in a neurosurgical unit and often take patients for MRI scans. You'll be ask to complete a questionaire which will check you haven't got any metal work, pace maker or any other metal forgein body anywhere in your body, you'll also be asked to remove all jewellery and hearing aids. This is due to the scanner using a strong magnetic field to line the cells in your body up, which is how the images are formed. Then you'll be given ear plugs as the scanner can be very noisy, some places let you play a CD through speakers so ask about this or take one just in case. You'll be tranferred onto the scanner which is quite narrow so they might use straps around your legs. Then the scanning table will move into a tunnel, this can be quite claustrophobic which some patients find quite unnerving. Everybody will then leave the room and keep an eye on you from a room with a window into the scanner room, they will communicate with you through an intercom and you'll be given an alarm bell for if you feel panicked or need help. Some scans can take 30 or so minutes so the worst part is the bordom of just lying in a tunnel. You won't feel anything at all. You won't get the results the same, even as an in-patient as the radiograph will report upon the scans, then the consult will take a look and either contact your GP or you personally via their administration staff. Good Luck and Don't worry.

Answer 3

Hope this helps... All the best!!!

When you arrive at the MRI unit, you will be asked to lie on a bed which is then wheeled into the MRI scanner. Inside the scanner you will be lying in a tunnel, whose diameter is slightly larger than shoulder width. As a result you may feel cramped, even claustrophobic, but the process is over in a relatively short amount of time.

You will be asked to lie still. In fact, you will need to keep the part of the body the doctor wishes to scan completely still.

During a scan of the head, you can move your hands and feet, and you can swallow normally but the head must remain in a fixed position. Some hospitals may fasten your head to the bed by the use of straps or provide plenty of padding.

If the spinal cord is scanned, you will need to keep that part of the body completely still. These measures help to provide a clear picture from the MRI machine

Answer 4

There isnt anything to worry about - all you have to do is lie perfectly still while the scanner moves over you. Depending on what part of the body they are scanning determines how long the scan takes - the worst part is the noise of the machine. In the UK its very doubtful that you'll get results same day - they usually go through to your consultant and you get them about 2 weeks later. It varies with what you're being scanned for but sometimes you will be injected with a die (iodine type stuff) just before the scan - that can make you feel a bit warm. You'll be fine - honestly. Good luck anyway xx

Answer 5

the radiologist will describe the findings on the MRI, and the diagnosis might want to then be glaring. now and again there might want to correctly be countless findings, a number of which will properly be irrelavent to the project. now and again the findings do not correlate with the indicators, and then it is as a lot because the kinfolk healthcare professional or different professional (like orthopedics) to interprate the MRI report for a "diagnosis". An MRI is a larger determination imaging than a undeniable Xray, notwithstanding it isn't perfect. there remains an paintings to reading the archives.

Answer 6

if they do a head scan it takes about 10 mins mostly they do the section of the body that they are interested in they tend to pad the area they are scanning to stop movement, it is noisy (boom, boom, boom,) but just relax some scanners are more open than others, the early ones (Which I had) can be a little claustrophobic, a bit like being a torpedo in a tube, but you do get a panic button, m.r.i is magnetic resonation imaging and is a lot safer and more accurate than other systems the results can be seen immediatly, you may need an enhanced scan which is a small injection of dye (virtually painless) to see really small details, the results will be given to your consultant who will tell you the results at a later date, the machine actually lines up every atom north to south, bloody clever little toy really! it can spot anomalies but cannot tell if they are benign or not, that too is up to your consultant, Don't worry it's just a scan and it won't hurt!

Answer 7

i had an MRI done on my knee a while ago i was shitting myself but its not that bad you basically you go into a big tube and it makes an awful noise and the worst bit is you have to stay really still. there is a nurse that will talk to you the whole way through and tell them that your nervous.
they shouldn't be able to give you any results as the radiographer or whatever they are called are not a qualified doctor unless of course your consultant is there if not he will have to look at them first, same sort of thing when you go for a normal x ray
try taking some Kalms a few days before hand you can get them from your chemist or supermarket they should help,
i hope it goes well for you good luck and its a bit silly to say it but don't worry its not too bad. good luck

Answer 8

It depends what part of your body you are having imaged. Some parts take longer than others, and the radiologist performing the scan may want to give you some form of contrast to highlight different areas of the body.

The machine is quite tight and it can make a loud noise, so you should be aware of that. They should hopefully tell you about it before you undergo the scan.

You're given a buzzer so that if at any point you become scared/ frightened, etc, you can let them now and they can halt the scan.
There is also a two-way intercom system so that you are always in contact with those people taking the pictures.

Some MRI centres even give you headphones so that you can listen to music during the imaging.

It's unlikely that you'll get any news straight away, as the consultant who referred you for the scan may want to discuss the findings with the radiologist and tell you about it at a clinic in tthe near future.

You'll be fine.

Answer 9

Ok I had this to diagnose a knee injury. You are basically put inside a tunnell. It is really clostrophobic as you are only a couple of inches from roof of tunnell. The radiographer will tell you to keep perfectly still cos if you don't it will distort image. Keeping still is so hard and scan can take anything between 20 and 30 mins.

With regards results I had to wait a week but I have heard of people getting them imediately. It depends really on where you get it and whether radiologist/consultant will look at it there and then. My MRI image was taken at a private centre and emailed to a radiologist in Scotland for comments.

Good luck

Answer 10

Well, here in NZ, the results are in immediately, but it takes the medical team time to get to the results to review them. If you're an inpatient, it happpens quick, especially if it's suspected something urgent, but as an outpatient, I would think you will have to wait for them to contact you at home for the results. The actual radiographer can interpret what she sees to a degree (I think), but it's up to your med team to tell you. So same day results would be unlikely, but I am not in the UK so don't quote me. However, I have worked for the NHS, and yes, things don't happen yesterday there! Or tomorrow either usually!
Don't be nervous about the actual scan, it's very straightforward, and non-invasive, probably a bit boring lying there more than anything.
Good luck :)