Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI Scan

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a scanner that lets doctors see inside of your body without having to perform surgery. The test is painless, and no needles are used. The test gives doctors a detailed picture of the heart, including the chambers and valves, without having to inject a dye or insert a catheter.

How it work?
The MRI machine looks like a long, narrow tube. When you are placed inside of the tube, you are surrounded by a magnetic field. The human body is made up of different elements, most of which are also magnetic. The magnetic field surrounding your body reacts with the magnetic elements within your body to transmit a faint radio signal. For example, your body contains a large amount of hydrogen, which is very magnetic.

The MRI machine’s magnetic field excites the hydrogen in your body, which in turn creates the radio signal. The radio signal is read by a computer and turned into an image that can be seen on a television monitor.

What to expect?
No special preparation is needed before you have an MRI.

The MRI machine will surround you during the test, and some people may feel closed in or claustrophobic. You will have to lie still, and you may be asked to briefly hold your breath while the technician takes pictures of your heart.

An MRI is a completely painless test. And, because the MRI machine uses magnetism, you are not exposed to any radiation like you would be with an X–ray machine. MRI cannot be done if you have a pacemaker.

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