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.
Please wear comfortable clothing. Cotton, polyester, and wool are best. Don't worry about the snaps or zippers on pants, as that metal can be allowed into the scanning facility.
Depending on which part of your body is being scanned, you may need to wear a hospital gown during the procedure. If you don't need to wear a gown, you should wear clothes without metal zips, fasteners, buttons, underwire (bras), belts or buckles.
You will be asked to wear a hospital gown or clothes without metal zippers or snaps (such as sweatpants and a t-shirt). Make sure you take off your watch, jewelry and wallet. Some types of metal can cause blurry images. You will lie on a narrow table that slides into a tunnel-like scanner.
How long does an MRI scan take? A single scan may take a few seconds or 3 to 8 minutes. You may be asked to hold your breath during short scans. The total scan lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and how many images are needed.
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.
The clasps on the back of a regular bra are not a problem, but avoid wearing bras that have metal parts on the straps. Avoid wearing mascara (can contain metal flakes), hair gel and wet hair. Water in hair can throw off magnet signal.
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.
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.
On imaging, the vaginal tampon takes the shape and orientation of the vaginal canal and resembles air in attenuation, because of the gas between the fibers. Occasionally, the string of the tampon may also be seen. Radiologists need to recognize a vaginal tampon, to not get confused with a pathology (21, 22).
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.
Caffeine interferes with the action of adenosine (see Stress Perfusion MRI above), which is used to simulate the stress part of this MRI scan. Types of caffeine include tea, coffee, herbal teas, Milo, and even decaffeinated coffee and soft drinks, such as cola. You might also be requested to fast for 6 hours.
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.
Gadobenate is a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). Gadobenate is given by injection before an MRI scan to help find problems in the brain, spine, and other parts of your body.
No. Some wigs contain trace amounts of metal from wig clips, hairpins or adjustable straps. Many types of extensions also contain metallic particles. The MRI's powerful magnetic field causes metal objects and particles to heat up, which can lead to burns.
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.
Too much movement can cause artifacts – artificial observations introduced during the scanning process. The percentage of MRI scans that need to be redone may be even higher for young children and individuals with disabilities.
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!
If you need to cough or get an itch, tell them and they can get you out, or give you a short break between sequences. Then you are moved out of the machine, released, have your plastic tube removed and can go home.
Counting numbers or listening to music: Counting slowly or listening to a soothing melody can help distract you and make the time pass quickly while you are in the scanner. Talk to the Technician: In most instances, you can speak to the technician throughout most of the procedure.
If you are getting intravenous contrast material, which helps your body part show up better in the MRI pictures, or sedative medicine during the examination, you may be asked to not eat solid food for four to eight hours before the examination.