Posted , 3 users are following.
my doctor wants me to have this procedure done next week. he didnt give me much info regarding with what happens during the procedure. can someone tell me step by step what happens? does it hurt or is it uncomfortable/awkward?
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mary19068 abigail06259
Posted
Hi abigail02659
What is this procedure in connection with?
pippa58442 abigail06259
Posted
MRI examinations may be performed on outpatients or inpatients.
You may be asked to empty your bladder.
You will be positioned on a moveable examination table lying on your back. Straps and bolsters may be used to help you remain still and maintain the correct position during imaging. A device that contains coils capable of sending and receiving radio waves will be strapped around your pelvis.
You will be placed into the magnet of the MRI unit and the radiologist and technologist will perform the examination while working at a computer outside of the room.
Images will be obtained while you are contracting or squeezing the pelvic muscles and while the pelvic muscles are relaxed. You may also be asked to bear down or forcibly exhale while keeping your mouth and nose closed. The technologist will give you instructions during the exam.
The entire exam is usually completed within 15 minutes and is performed without using an intravenous contrast agent.
Most MRI exams are painless. However, some patients find it uncomfortable to remain still during MR imaging. Others experience a sense of being closed-in (claustrophobia) while in the MRI scanner. Therefore, sedation can be arranged for those patients who anticipate anxiety, but fewer than one in 20 require medication.
It is normal for the area of your body being imaged to feel slightly warm, but if it bothers you, notify the radiologist or technologist. It is important that you remain perfectly still while the images are being obtained, which is typically only a few seconds to a few minutes at a time. You will know when images are being recorded because you will hear and feel loud tapping or thumping sounds when the coils that generate the radiofrequency pulses are activated. Some centers provide earplugs, while others use headphones to reduce the intensity of the sounds made by the MRI machine. You will be able to relax between imaging sequences, but will be asked to maintain your position without movement as much as possible.
You will usually be alone in the exam room during the MRI procedure. However, the technologist will be able to see, hear and speak with you at all times using a two-way intercom. Many MRI centers allow a friend or parent to stay in the room as long as they are also screened for safety in the magnetic environment.
I would try to avoid sedation because it can actually cause anxiety and depression and sometimes vomiting. Sedation has caused me both of these problems.