What can I expect during the procedure?
After getting registered at the Radiology front desk, you will be escorted to a changing room where you will dress in a hospital gown. If you are to have an exam that involves the injection of contrast, a peripheral IV will be placed prior to bringing you into the room where the MRI scanner is located. Full-time nurses are available within our department to insure minimal discomfort associated with IV placement.
When you are brought into the MRI scanner, you will be placed on your back on the MRI’s table. EKG leads will be placed over your heart for the Cardiac MR exam. These allow us to coordinate our image acquisition with your heartbeat. It is a necessary part of the exam. A surface coil, which resembles a small basket, will be put on your chest and then secured in place with straps.
You will also wear a pair of headphones. These block out the loud pounding sound the scanner makes, and also allow you to hear or talk to the technologist at all times during the exam. The technologist can also visually monitor you throughout the exam by means of a small camera.
Once you are placed inside the magnet, it is very important that you stay as still as possible while images are acquired. Even slight movements can affect the images.
During the exam, the technologist will give you simple breathing commands such as when to hold your breath. The exam will consist of a series of image acquisitions, each of which takes less than a minute to acquire. Overall, including the time to take you in and out of the scanner, the average time for a Cardiac MR is approximately 45 minutes. Please realize, however, that your entire exam is being monitored by a physician, and that each exam is tailored to the individual patient. Adjustments may be made that can either decrease or extend the exam time.