MRI Scans

MRI scans often require some preparation. However we coordinate with you and your health professional beforehand so you know exactly what to do.

A referral from a health professional enables an appointment for an MRI. This can be booked through our easy-to-understand online form or your specialist can send the referral via their practice management system. 

Most scans take between 30-45 minutes, occasionally extra time may be needed before or after your scan so allow one to two hours for the entire process. but we request that you arrive 20 minutes prior to your scan to fill out relevant paperwork. This includes an MRI Patient Questionnaire and consenting form if contrast is to be used. 

You will be asked to remove any of the following (and we provide a safe place to keep these belongings).

• Watches
• Jewellery
• Hair clips
• Underwired bras
• Hearing aids
• Makeup and hairspray (these can contain small metal particles)

You will also be asked to change into one of our comfy and stylish gowns. You are welcome to bring a companion to the appointment but only you may enter the MRI scanning room. Our professional team will ensure you feel safe and comfortable at all times. You can even chose what music to listen to in your headphones!

You will be given headphones to allow the MRI Technologist to communicate with you during the examination. You will be given a choice of music to listen to, and you’ll be provided with a buzzer to contact our MRI technologist at any time during the scan. MRI scanners are large and can be described as a tunnel, they are bright and airy with plenty of room to relax. The MRI Technologist may have to position you in certain ways (using special wedges), and other equipment may be placed on top or around you.

Once in position you will slowly be moved into the scanner either feet or head first until the desired tissue or organ is in the middle of the scanner. By remaining as still as possible an extremely clear and detailed picture can be obtained.

On average an MRI scan will take 30 minutes, but may take from 10 - 120 minutes depending on the images required. Your MRI Technologist will tell you how long the scan can be expected to take.

If you believe you may feel claustrophobic please let us know beforehand. We can usually provide techniques to keep you comfortable.

Sometimes a contrast agent (dye) may be given to obtain a clearer picture for diagnostic purposes. This is injected through a vein in your arm, though if required you will be informed and asked to sign a consent form before the scan.

Usually you can eat, drink, work, exercise and resume normal activities straight after your scan. If this is not the case we will advise you.

Your MRI scan report based on a radiologist interpretation, and the digital images themselves will be available for your doctor as soon as possible.

In discussion with your physician the findings and next steps in your diagnosis and treatment can then take place.

MRI is the most frequently used imaging test of the brain and spinal cord. It is often used to help diagnose:

• Aneurysms of cerebral vessels
• Eye and inner ear disorders
• Multiple sclerosis
• Spinal cord disorders
• Stroke
• Tumours
• Brain injury from trauma
• MRI focused on the heart or blood vessels can assess:
• Heart chamber size and function
• Heart wall thickness and movement
• Extent of damage caused by heart attacks or disease
• Aorta structural problems such as aneurysms or dissections
• Blood vessel inflammation or blockage

MRI can check for tumours or abnormalities of many organs including:

• Liver and bile ducts
• Kidneys
• Spleen
• Pancreas
• Uterus
• Ovaries
• Prostate

Powerful magnets produce a strong magnetic field that forces protons in the body to align with that field. A pulsed radiofrequency current stimulates patient protons, spins them out of equilibrium, straining against the pull of the magnetic field.

When the radiofrequency is turned off, the MRI sensors are able to detect the energy released as the protons realign. Realignment time and energy released depends on the environment and chemical nature of molecules.

There are differences between tissue types based on these magnetic properties. Sophisticated computing is able to interpret and produce an image from radio waves.

MRI’s ability to produce detailed anatomical images means it is often used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

The scanners are particularly suited to imaging non-bony or soft tissues of the body.

For this reason it is often used to image knee and shoulder injuries.

MRI can differentiate between brain white and grey matter and be used to diagnose aneurysms and tumours.

During an MRI scan, you lie inside a large, open-ended tunnel that utilises strong magnetic fields to produce detailed images of internal organs and other structures in the body. Patients who have MRI scans sometimes require an injection of contrast or ‘dye’.  The contrast material is injected into a vein before or during the MRI examination; this can help doctors visualise certain areas more clearly by highlighting differences in tissues within the scanned area. The injection is safe—and you can resume normal activities almost immediately afterwards. For certain body regions or specific conditions, using MRI contrast can help doctors to achieve an even clearer view of what’s happening inside your body. This helps provide the most accurate diagnoses —so you get imaging that’s tailored for you. We will let you know if a contrast injection is recommended for your MRI.