How long does the test take? The test usually takes 30 to 60 minutes but can take as long as 2 hours.
Brain MRIs usually take between 12 and 20 minutes to complete, whereas a breast MRI can take up to 45 minutes. MRIs take a long time to complete because they take many hundreds of images of your tissue in slices. They then build this up into a three-dimensional representation that doctors can study.
A brain MRI usually takes between 30 to 60 minutes to complete.
They can talk with you and be there to support you during and after the examination. They can also drive you home if you have sedative medicine during the examination. If you do take sedative medication, you cannot drive yourself.
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.
Swallowing can lead to head motion artifacts. If you can avoid swallowing during a scan, the data quality will be better. If trying not to swallow makes you gag or swallow suddenly, then it's best to just swallow normally.
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 scan may last between 15 and 90 minutes, depending on how many images of the brain are needed.
You will be in constant communication with the MRI technicians and you can stop the scan at any time. We have a fan in case you get warm, blankets in case you are cool and bolstering pillows to help you stay comfortable during a long scan.
The MRI technologist will be able to see you and can talk with you at all times. An intercom system allows two-way communication while you're inside the scanner. You'll also have a call button in your hand that you can push to let the technologist know if you're having any problems or concerns.
The MRI of the brain requires you to lie down on the scanning table, head-first.
Generally, MRIs under anesthesia are performed under sedation, although sometimes they are performed under general anesthesia. Sedation is characterized as being in a state between relaxed and very sleepy, but not quite unconscious.
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.
They may also exhibit intense fears of suffocation. With that in mind, it's also somewhat common for people to experience claustrophobia episodes during an MRI scan. MRIs are often necessary exams for taking care of your health.
Newer, specialized MRIs can measure brain function for detecting changes in brain function and structure because of TBI or evaluate the structure of the brain at an even finer level. MRI might show brain atrophy long after the injury, which results when injured or dead brain tissue is reabsorbed after TBI.
You must lie very still during the scan. If you move, the MRI scan pictures may not be clear. Your primary care physician may order you a mild sedative if you are claustrophobic (afraid of closed spaces), have a hard time staying still, or have chronic pain.
Radiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston have conducted the longest and most detailed MRI scan in history. By placing a brain into an MRI scanner for an impressive five days, they have managed to achieve a resolution as high as 0.1 millimeters.
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!
Wear comfortable, loose clothing. Leave all jewellery and valuables at home. Metal objects, such as watches, keys, coins and jewellery cannot be taken into the MRI room. Cards with magnetic strips such as bank cards will be erased by most MRI scanners.
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.
Diagnostic Imaging
The MRI machine uses a combination of a strong magnet, radio transmitter and receiver. When the sequences are performed, electric current is sent through a coiled wire-an electromagnet. The switching of the currents causes the coils to expand making loud clicking sounds.
You should not have to do too much to prepare for a head MRI. You may be able to eat, drink and take your medications as usual. However, if your doctor ordered a scan for other parts of your body, such as your abdominal region, they may instruct you not to drink or eat four to six hours before the test.
If you are having an MRI of your brain, you will be asked to wear a special helmet. As theprocedure begins, the table will move slowly into the magnetic opening. All you need to do is relax and remain as still as possible. You may feel vibrations,and you will hear noises made by the machine during scanning.