MRI Scans are no more the new invention that people are reluctant to use and has now become a regular part of the medical process of curing patients. MRI scans are readily available in metropolitan cities around the country with specialist mri hospitals Chennai and other major cities. You can easily find using your smartphones, all you need to do is search and several results will pop up for you to choose from, but before you go for an MRI scan, there are certain facts you need to know and myths you need to be aware of about an MRI scan. So, it is better to know and understand the most important and vital aspects regarding the MRI Scans of different types before you go in for an MRI scan. In short, before you grab your smartphones and type in the search box say, mri Chennai, you will need to look for these facts and uses.
What is an MRI scan?
The ‘’MRI ‘’ in the MRI Scan stands for magnetic resonance imaging. The invention of the MRI machine proved to be a watershed moment in the field of medicinal research and has ever since assisted doctors and medical professionals and changed the entire landscape of scans and knowing the illness.
When was the MRI Machine invented and by whom?
Raymond Damadian, American physician and also a medical practitioner was the first person to conduct a full body scan on a human being using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) which then came to be known as the MRI scan. He conducted the scan in the year 1977 on one of his patients for the cure of cancer. Damadian’s work didn’t go unnoticed and he was later awarded the Lemelson-MIT $100,000 prize for Lifetime Achievement in the year 2001 for the invention of the MRI scanner.
Uses of the MRI Scan
- Deformities of the brain and anomalies in the spinal cord.
- It is also used for cysts or tumours in different parts of the body.
- It is used for a few heart problems.
- It may also be used in case of injuries incurred or abnormalities developed in the joints.
- Liver diseases, diseases of other organs around the abdomen.
- In cases of female patients who are undergoing evaluation regarding infertility.
- It is used for screening for women with the possibility of breast cancer.
- An MRI scan can also detect any tears in the aorta.
- An MRI is used to make sure of the direction where the surgery is going and determining the anomalies for better treatment.
- MRI scans are mostly used in defining brain anatomy.
How doctors prepare patients for an MRI Scan?
- Firstly, in a regular hospital procedure, the patient may be asked to change into a gown.
- The patient will have to take off any metal objects he’s wearing in the form of jewellery or accessories.
- No metal objects are supposed to be present inside the scanner as magnets are used for the scan.
- Patients that have due to an accident have any piece of metal inside their body like a bullet shell or shrapnel will not be able to have an MRI scan.
- Nervous patients should tell the doctor about being anxious about the scan and will be given medication accordingly to calm them down.
- Patients might also get injected with an IV contrast liquid to optimize the utility of the scan by making the tissues more visible.
- The MRI will be conducted by a Radiologist who will readily answer any questions the patient asks during the scan.
- Patients might at time be allowed earplugs and music during the scan although, this primarily is done only for children.
What should a patient do during the Scan?
- The patient is expected to stay sill and cooperate throughout the process.
- The scanner creates loud noises which can be discomforting at times.
- The scan starts only when the patient communicates to the Radiologist through the intercom and tells that he’s ready for the scan.
- In a case of the patient feeling uncomfortable while the scan is going on, the patient can communicate through the intercom and call off the scan.
What happens after the scan?
- After the scan, the radiologist is supposed to check the images extracted and make sure whether all the relevant images have been extracted or not.
- The patient can leave once the scan is completed.
- The reports from the scans then go to the doctor to study. The patient then is supposed to make an appointment with the doctor.
Possible side effects of an MRI Scan
- The patient may feel nauseous.
- May feel stings where he has been injected.
- Claustrophobic patients might feel uneasy once the scan is conducted.
- Some patients can also feel itchy in the eyes.
- Headaches are also a possible side-effect a patient can feel after an MRI scan.
Myths regarding the MRI Scan
- The first and the most common myth that is circulated about the MRI scan is that it exposes the patients to harmful radiations, which of course is not the case in the modern world. The MRI scans have changed over the years, and the patients are not at all exposed to any harmful radiations.
- Claustrophobic patients often opt for an Open MRI, and there’s a myth encircling around the patient circles that an open MRI is the same as closed MRI scan which is not true. An open MRI lacks in accuracy when compared to a closed MRI scan.
- Another myth which needs to be busted is the one which claims that all MRI machines are equally effective, which is false in every way. So, before you get an MRI conducted, please check which MRI machine the facility uses.
- MRIs are said to be by many as useful only for bodily injuries. MRI scans have in the last decades improved and advanced manifold.
Now, you can step into any facility for an MRI scan with a lot more awareness about all the different aspects of an MRI scan. Myths that you would have been harbouring up till now must have also cleared out to give you a better understanding of this revolutionary invention.
The Medical world is ever changing, and new researches and surveys keep changing the scenario further, which makes it a duty of the patients to stay up to date and aware of the changes and updates.
