MRT Procedure

The patient who is to have an MRI examination goes with his referral from the general practitioner with the MRI liver written on it to a radiologist with whom an appointment has been made beforehand. Often a waiting period of up to 4 weeks may be necessary before an MRI examination can be performed. In advance, the patient must read and sign an information sheet.

Although the MRI examination is a harmless examination, it may be necessary to inject contrast medium, which in principle can lead to allergic reactions. It is also important to inform the radiologist if metallic implants are present in the body. In Germany, an MRI examination may not be performed on pacemaker wearers because of the danger of electrode solution.

The patient must then lie down on a couch which is automatically retracted into the MRI machine. Prior to this, a venous access is placed in the arm vein, in case contrast medium has to be injected. Since the electrical coils can make the MRI machine extremely loud, the patient is fitted with headphones.

Through these headphones he can also receive instructions from the control room, where a medical technical assistant or a radiologist performs the examination. By pressing a button in his hand, the patient can stop the examination in case of emergency, if he is not feeling well. The examination can take up to 30 minutes.

All articles in this series: