MRI Scan

Wide-Bore MRI Machines

If you’re claustrophobic, we have wide-bore MRI machines that will give you a little extra room. In a wide-bore magnet, the tube of the magnet is much larger than that of a standard MRI machine. You have more room around all sides to allow air to flow and feel less claustrophobic. Our dedicated team will ensure you are comfortable and feel safe inside the scanner while providing consistent communication during the scan. Additionally, please note that “wide-bore MRIs” differ from “open MRIs” or “open magnets.” Wide-bore MRIs provide higher diagnostic quality than open MRIs. If you are concerned about claustrophobia, please ask your Radiology Scheduler if a “wide-bore MRI” is available. We do not offer “open MRIs” at BIDMC. 

MRI With Sedation & Anesthesia 

The MRI department also offers the option of oral sedation or general anesthesia (fully asleep) if you experience claustrophobia or anxiety. Please discuss this with your doctor before they order your exam. If you are scheduling your own exam, please tell the scheduler that you require oral sedation. In most cases, we use the medications Alprazolam (Xanax) or Lorazepam (Ativan).

If you’re receiving oral sedation, a radiology nurse practitioner (NP) or registered nurse (RN) will call you prior to your testing appointment for these purposes:  

• Take a detailed medical history 
• Discuss any special needs or restrictions 
• Review your medication options 

To receive medication, you will have to bring an escort. That person will remain here with you during the test and drive you home. You will receive written discharge instructions and we will review those with you. 

Plan not to do any activity — including work — that requires you to be alert for the rest of the day. 

General anesthesia can be arranged (exam-dependent). Please discuss this with your ordering provider. They will need to order anesthesia when they order your MRI. Please also note that we can only offer anesthesia for a limited number of patients per week, so these appointments may take longer to arrange. 

MRI With Contrast

We can perform many MR exams without contrast. However, intravenous (IV) or oral (by mouth) contrast can help us better distinguish between normal tissues and abnormal tissues. MRI with contrast can also help us to assess the function of certain organs. The radiologist determines whether or not contrast will be helpful in each specific test. They use your medical history and other information that the ordering doctor has provided. 

The radiologist may decide to add contrast to an exam that your doctor ordered without contrast to get the best possible study. Our radiologists review all scheduled exams so that you receive the best possible exam for your care. 

The contrast we use in MRI is a gadolinium-based contrast approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Gadolinium is an element that has useful magnetic characteristics for MRI imaging.  

Most people can receive gadolinium-based contrast without incident. Let your doctor or the testing team know if you have these conditions:  

• Diabetes 
• Gout 
• High blood pressure 
• Kidney disease 

If you are receiving IV contrast, a member of your testing team will inject a small amount into your bloodstream. They usually do this through a vein in your arm or hand. The team will take a series of images after the injection. The radiologist will compare these images to images done prior to the injection.  

A small number of people have nausea after receiving IV contrast or drinking liquid contrast. This usually passes in a few minutes and rarely results in vomiting. If you have a general problem with nausea, please speak to your doctor before coming to your appointment. They can prescribe anti-nausea medication such as Zofran. You can take this prior to your exam and it may help eliminate those symptoms.

Specialized Cardiac MR Imaging

We collaborate with the Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (MR) Center to offer advanced MRI testing for heart and vascular conditions. We also offer MR elastography and functional MRI (fMRI).

How to Prepare for Your MRI

Most MRI exams require no preparation. However, for some types of scans you may need to not eat or drink for four hours prior to your test. Your doctor's office will let you know if this is necessary. 

If you are diabetic, it is okay to eat or drink lightly to keep your blood sugar in your comfort range. If you are diabetic, speak with your doctor about how to prepare. 

You should take any medication you would normally take as your doctor directs. Please let your technologist know what medications you are currently taking. If you are taking medications to relax you, please have someone with you to drive you home after your MRI. 

If you have had recent exams to diagnose this same or a similar problem at another facility, it would be helpful for the radiologist to see those exams. If available, please bring prior studies with you. 

Some exams require a preparation period prior to the actual scan. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time. This allows you time to complete the preparation and paperwork these special exams require. Your doctor will let you know in advance if this is necessary. 

If you have questions about any preparation required for your MRI exam, please contact the MRI department and speak with an MR technologist. 

What to Wear & Bring to Your MRI

We will ask you to change into a hospital gown and pants for the MRI exam. This is because clothing fabrics may contain metallic fibers that can degrade the image quality. 

We recommend that you leave jewelry at home and use minimal makeup or hair gels. Makeup and some hair products may also contain metallic particles that can affect the images. We have patient lockers at each MRI location to store your personal items during the exam.

Where to Go for Your MRI

View BIDMC location information to find directions, contact information and hours of operation for MRI scanning locations.

MRI Safety Guidelines & Risks

MRI poses no known risk to most people. Most people who have surgical metal in their body can have an MRI. For example, those with hip or knee replacements can have an MRI exam a few weeks after surgery. Certain devices, however, can never go into the MRI machine.  

Please tell your doctor and a Radiology Scheduler if you have or believe that you might have any of the following:  

If you have a surgically implanted device, bring any information about the device to your test. For example, many people receive cards with information about their implants. If you have one of these cards for your implanted device, please bring it to the appointment. To speed up your check-in process, please complete the MRI screening form in your MyBILH Chart account before your appointment and leave all valuables at home.

If there is any chance there may be metal in any part of your body from a prior injury or from grinding metal, please inform the technologist prior to the scan. You may need to undergo some simple screening X-rays before the MRI, which could require revisions to your appointment.

Safety Screening & Medical History

When you arrive for your exam, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire about your previous medical history and the reason for the visit. This questionnaire will also be available for you to complete in your MyBILH Chart account before your appointment. A technologist will review this information with you and answer any questions you might have about the MRI.

Getting Ready for the Test

A member of the testing team will escort you to a dressing room. There, you will change from street clothes to a hospital gown. You can lock your possessions in a locker.

Your Safety in the MRI Scan Room

For your safety and the safety of our staff, the MRI environment needs to remain free of metal objects. You must remove these items before you enter the scan room: 

What Will Happen During an MRI

After the technologist discusses the exam with you and answers any questions you might have, they will escort you into the scan room. There, the testing team will position you on a special cushioned table. The table will move you through the scanner during your exam. A member of your testing team may place a surface coil — which is like a radio antenna — on the part of your body they’ll be imaging. 

The technologist will then leave the room. However, at all times, the technologist can both see and hear you. You will receive a call button in the very unlikely case of an emergency. You will also receive hearing protection. 

MRI sequences will then begin. The exam consists of several different sequences that vary in length and the type of sound they make. The technologist will tell you how long each sequence will be and will remind you to lie as still as possible. You will be aware of a knocking noise. This is the sound of the magnet working to generate images.  

Some MRI exams have a few short sequences during which you will need to hold your breath. These breath holds last from 10 to 20 seconds. 

MRI imaging is not painful. However, for some, lying still can be slightly uncomfortable. Minimizing movement is necessary to obtain the best possible pictures.

MRI Scanner & Loud Noise

The noise occurs when electric current passes through a series of coils in the scanner. The rapid pulsing of current in the high magnetic field causes these coils to resonate or "sing.” It also creates torque on the coils that moves them in their housing. The loud noise of the scanner is a combination of these effects. Each scan will have a distinctive sound and you may notice it change from scan to scan. Our team will provide you with hearing protection during the scan.

How Long an MRI Takes

Most MRI exams take 40 minutes or less. Several special exams require more imaging time — sometimes 60 to 90 minutes. 

If you are having more than one MRI exam on the same day, we will schedule each exam in a separate appointment slot. In some cases, we cannot schedule multiple exams on the same day and we will need to schedule them separately.

After the exam, the technologist will help you off the table and escort you back to the locker area. There, you can change back into your clothes. As long as you haven’t received any type of sedation, you can resume your normal activities right away.

Your MRI Scan Results

One of our radiologists will review your images — typically within 24 hours. They will send a report to your doctor. Your doctor will go over the results with you. You will also have access to your images via MyBILH Chart.