MRI

At the time of booking and on arrival at Beyond Radiology, you will be asked to complete a safety questionnaire to ensure it is safe for you to have the scan.

Patients who have certain metal implants may be at risk of either damage to their implant or themselves. Many metal implants have been tested and are safe to enter the room however some can be dangerous such as various pacemakers.

If you have a pacemaker or metal implant within your body, it is extremely important that you tell the booking coordinator and MRI technologist at Beyond Radiology prior to your scan.

For most patients, no other special preparation is required for an MRI scan.

For some specific scans, you may be asked to follow special instructions which you will be advised about at the time of booking your scan.

You will be given a full explanation of what to expect during the MRI scan by the MRI technologist performing your examination.

Patient comfort and a nice patient experience is paramount.

You will be asked to put on a patient gown for comfort and asked to remove all metallic objects. Metal objects such as jewellery and coins cannot be taken into the MRI room as the MRI scanner has a powerful magnet which can pull these objects with great force into the scanner or heat up causing damage or harm.

The MRI magnet will also erase any cards with magnetic strips, such as your bank or credit cards, and can damage electronic and mechanical devices such as phones and watches.

The MRI machine is a large tube that has wide openings at both ends of the scanner.

The MRI scanning room is bright and open and has a large scenic mural on the ceiling of the room.

You may choose music and room lighting of your choice during your scan.

During the scan, you will be asked to lie on a movable table and a lightweight “coil” will be placed onto the body region to be scanned.

The scanning table then slowly moves into the scanner for the scan. You will be closely monitored at all times during the scan by the MRI technologist from the console room through a large window and a camera. You can talk with the MRI technologist by microphone between scans if required.

Ear protection will be provided prior to the scan commencing. During the scan, you will hear loud rhythmic sounds which will last between 2-4 minutes per image sequence. This is the MRI scanner taking the images.

If you are worried about feeling claustrophobic inside the MRI machine, please talk to your referring doctor beforehand and to the booking coordinator and MRI technologist prior to the scan. Intravenous sedation can be given by the Radiologist if required.

An intravenous injection of a contrast medium called gadolinium may be required, into a vein in your hand or arm, which can help the Radiologist interpret the images of your scan.

At the end of the scan you will be helped from the room and back to a changing cubicle so that you can change back into your clothes and leave.

The MRI technologists will help as required with any mobility issues or questions you may have at any stage in the process.

Most scans take approximately 20-40 minutes once you have been prepared and set up.

We allow longer for bookings that are more complex and each referral is reviewed by MRI staff to ensure the appointment goes well.

MRI scans do not use ionising radiation (X-Rays) and are generally considered to be safe for patients. MRI itself has no known harmful effects.

MRI is not recommended during pregnancy unless under special circumstances.

Contrast injections are not advised during pregnancy/breast feeding unless specifically required.

Our booking coordinators will advise you of all costs involved with your MRI scan prior to the scan.

The images obtained from your MRI scan are recorded digitally and stored on our system.

The images will be available electronically to your referrer immediately after the MRI scan has been completed by the technologist.

The images from the scan will then be interpreted by a subspecialist Radiologist who will report the scan then send an authorised report to your referrer.