MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a process to scan the internal bodily organs, its functionalities, abnormal growth if any, and in some cases developments after surgeries. The scanning caters to different needs using a large magnet and radio waves to look inside the body. MRI scan, in general, is used by the medical professionals to address a variety of health issues. It can range from conditions like torn ligaments to cervical tumors. There is a separate section of brain and spinal cord MRI scanning as well that diagnose only the issues, and pain of the particular areas.
Process
The MRI scan is a lengthy process, and patients have often complained of it being suffocating. Whatever the case may be, there remain no issues on its effectiveness. The only thing that hits many is the time it takes. MRI scan is no short process, and each scan takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete.
During the scan, the patients are asked to lie down on a table that goes inside a tunnel-shaped machine. Patients are asked to stay still while the scanning is on. The MRI scan is done using radio magnetic waves, which require small wires connected with the body in the MRI centers in Hyderabad. These are the wires that send signals to the scanner and diagnose the issues that patients are having. The scan is absolutely painless. However, a continuous buzzing sound happens inside that sometimes causes uneasiness to the patients. They are, therefore, provided with earplugs to get rid of the noise.
Some MRI scans require a special dye to be injected into the body. Most of the time, the doctor injects the dye in the patients’ hand or forearm. The dye is used to locate some difficult to see areas more clearly.
Things to tell before MRI scanning
If your doctor has prescribed you with a MRI scan, make sure to inform three basic things there-
- Tell them if you are pregnant, expecting a baby, and the length of your pregnancy
- Inform early if you have a screws, and plates operated inside your body. A root canal, artificial limbs, or joint plates- you need to inform everything to the doctor before going inside the scanner.
- If you electronic devices such as a cardiac pacemaker in your body, don’t forget to tell that as well. Otherwise it could lead to severe damage while scanning.
Types of MRI scans
Best MRI centers in Hyderabad work in a specific manner to detect a wide number of adversities. Specifically if patients are suspected to be with cervical cancer, abnormal growth in the brain and spinal cord, pain in head and throughout the spinal cord, needs a knee replacement or have torn a ligament, have breast cancer etc. with these leg MRI, arm MRI, and lumbar MRI are also performed to address several medical issues.
The tests are performed in the same manner as we have discussed above. Once the patient has lied down on the table the table slides inside the scanner. To prevent any obstacles to scan the bodily part, the patients are always asked to wear a hospital gown that would help the scanner work properly. Sometimes patients are injected with a special dye on their arm or forearm that help in generating clearer pictures of areas those otherwise could not have been easily seen.
Often patients are asked to go through a blood test to check their kidney functions if the MRI scan is needed for kidney issues. This is to make sure your kidneys are healthy enough to filter the dye out once the test has been performed successfully.
The MRI test often lasts 30 to 60 minutes or may take longer, depending on the complexity of the area being tested.
List of items that need to be removed by patients before entering for MRI scan
Patients who have come for MRI scans are always asked to remove some vulnerable items outside. These include-
- Anything that comes with a magnetic strip- credit cards, ATM cards, debit cards, purse, and wallet
- Electronic devices such as cell phones, smartphones and tablets
- Hearing aids are also to be removed before the scan
- Jewellery, watches and anything that is made of metal
- Coins, clips, and pens are also to be removed
- Belt and shoes also contain metal that patients need to remove before they enter for MRI scan
- Some ointments are known for creating allergies and have chemicals that can cause adverse effect when comes into radiation. Therefore, it is strictly suggested to not use any ointment, lotion, or cream if you are going for an MRI scan.
- Our clothes often contain metallic fibres, threads, metallic zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks, and underwire. To make sure nothing comes in contact when the patient is inside the scanner, they are always asked to wear the hospital gown.
Often the image quality interfered if objects like metallic spinal rod, plates, pins and screws, bone and knee joint come in the way. Makeup products like eye shadow, nail paint, and some other cosmetic also contain metal and should never be worn while you are going for a MRI scan.
Tattoos or tattooed eyeliner also has the chance of skin irritation, swelling, redness, and create pigments. While they can harm the body if an MRI scan is done with those, there are also chances that the scanned image would result into a blurry one for all these.
One should also inform the doctor if he/ she have dental fillings and braces. While these do not interfere with the magnetic field, but can affect the images. The facial MRI or brain MRI can come as distorted or blurred if done when the patient is wearing it all.
There remain some questions among the patients who are asked to go for an MRI scan when they are carrying a baby, or are breastfeeding a baby. There are no such adverse effects of MRI scan for such conditions. It is only suggested to not breastfeed the baby for 24 hours after the scan is done to eliminate all chances of transferring radioactivity.
