The MRI Radiographer
Hello, I am one of a team of professionals looking after you during your scan. I have a degree in Radiography and specialist training in the operation of the MRI machine. I work closely with the Radiologist, a doctor who is expert in planning the type of scan and in interpreting the pictures the machine produces. Together we will get as much information about how your body is working to better plan your treatment.People come for an MRI for a number of reasons. They may have pain in a joint or in the back, they may be jaundiced or have lost weight, they may have noticed swelling of the abdomen or pain in the chest, they may have a known diagnosis such as cancer which needs further assessment to plan the best treatment, they may even be pregnant!
I will need to ask you a few questions before your scan partly to find out about the nature of your illness and partly to ensure the safety of the scan. For example have you got a pacemaker, a metal joint, any metal after an injury? Strong magnets may affect these although most modern metal joints are not magnetic
I will take you into the MRI room help you on to the couch and prepare the machine and you for the scan. I may need to arrange an open frame (a small additional magnet) around your head and face or your abdomen or your legs to improve the picture quality. Usually I will offer you head phones to listen to music - ours or your own. I may be able to provide you with special glasses so you can see out of the tunnel.
I will then go into the computer room next door to make ready for the scan. I can still see and hear you through a TV link and through a glass screen. You can call me via a call button at any time. I will prepare the machine for each sequence and let you know when it is about to start, to prepare for the noise and to lie as still as possible. I will also tell you how long it is likely to last
At some time during the scan the radiologist or I may need to give you an injection in your arm if we think this will improve the pictures.
I will try to keep you updated so that you know how long you will have to remain in the magnet. When the examination is finished I will come back into the room, slide the couch out of the magnet and help you off. If you have had an injection we may ask to stay in the hospital for up to an hour, otherwise you can go straight home.
MRI produces many pictures and they will take some time for the radiologist to review. They are usually seen and reported within a few days but may take up to a week or 10 days for the result to reach your doctor