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Miller DiPietro Associates/Partnership :: Procedures :: MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is a method of medical imaging that allows your doctor to see inside your body without the use of surgery or x-rays. It employs magnetism and radio waves to produce extremely clear pictures of internal organs and tissue.

How to Prepare for Your MRI

Preparing for an MRI is relatively simple. Continue eating normally and taking any prescription medications you need, unless otherwise advised by your doctor.

IMPORTANT: All removable metallic items must be left outside of the scanning room, including eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures and other prosthetic devices.

Makeup cannot be worn because some makeups contain metallic particles which could interfere in obtaining the highest quality image. You may be asked to wear a hospital gown, although "sweats" may be allowed to be worn if they do not have any metallic fasteners.

Credit cards cannot be brought into the scanning room because the encoded information on the magnetic strip on the back of the card will be erased by the magnets used in the MRI process.

It is important that your radiologist be made aware of any metal items in your body before your examination, including but not limited to:

  • Pacemakers
  • Implanted insulin pumps
  • Aneurysm clips
  • Vascular coils and filters
  • Heart valves
  • Ear implants
  • Surgical staples and wires
  • Shrapnel
  • Bone or joint replacements
  • Metal plates, rods, pins or screws
  • Contraceptive diaphragms or coils
  • Penile implants
  • Permanent dentures

In many cases, you can be scanned safely in spite of any implants, but it is best to let your radiologist and MRI staff know ahead of time. When in doubt, ask.

If you are pregnant or suspect you may be pregnant, please let your radiologist or staff know.

IMPORTANT: Do not allow yourself to be scanned if you have a pacemaker or other mechanically, electrically or magnetically activated device planted in your body. Unless specifically ordered by the radiologist, you will not be scanned if you have metal implants in the head region.

Before the exam begins, we will ask you a variety of questions and make sure you understand the procedure. You will then lie on an examination table and we will position you in the scanner. Please remain as still as possible during the procedure so that we may obtain the best image. During the exam, you will hear some loud sounds while the machine is working; if possible, we will give you headphones so that you may listen to music while you are being scanned.

The exam will last approximately 45 minutes.

Further MRI Information

To learn more about MRI, click one of the links below.

MEDLINEplus has a downloadable interactive tutorial on MRI (requires Flash).

Radiologyinfo.org offers helpful information on what an MRI is, some of its common uses, the benefits and risks, and how to prepare for an MRI, in their pages about MRI of the Body, MRI of the Head, and MR Angiography.

The Mayo Clinic has published an excellent overview on MRI.

Fonar Inc., the oldest MRI manufacturer in the United States, has an in-depth MRI FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page, with answers to most common MRI questions.

For the technically minded or scientifically curious, HowStuffWorks.com published an interesting article on how MRI works.

General Health Resources

MEDLINEplus, a service of the National Institute of Health, is a treasure trove of medical information from the world's largest library of medical information, the National Library of Medicine. Their online resources include an illustrated medical encyclopedia, pages with information on over 600 health topics, drug information, dictionary of medical terms and health news.

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All information on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended a substitute for personalized medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions from your physician. Any external links from MillerDiPietro.com are for your convenience and informational purposes only. These links should not be construed as an endorsement of the contents or sponsors therein, nor should it be construed that the linked sites endorse Miller DiPietro Associates/Partnership.