In Calgary, MRI exams are provided at our Mayfair Place location as private pay exams and are not covered by Alberta Health Care. Once your doctor has identified the need for an MRI, they will send us your requisition (for both public or private exams) and we will call you to schedule your exam and provide you with detailed information to prepare for it. What are your treatment options? What outcomes could be expected for each option? How do the different types of imaging work? What are the risks? What happens if you don’t have imaging? What happens after your exam? In determining appropriateness, there are a number of questions you could discuss with your doctor. Your personal medical history will help determine which type of imaging is best suited to diagnose your concern. There is a risk of allergic reaction to the contrast agent, so you will be asked about your allergies and other medical conditions when booking your exam. Targeted body areas will absorb the contrast dye, and will glow on the MRI scan, allowing for a more detailed image. The inside of the MRI scanner can feel small to some people and there are noises caused by changes in the magnetic field, which require ear protection.įor some exams, an injectable dye called gadolinium contrast is administered intravenously to highlight a specific area of interest, or directly into a joint (arthrogram). This means that before an MRI can be performed all patients will need to be screened to exclude internal metal objects or hardware that are not safe in the MRI. MRI images are created using a magnetic field, which can attract metal objects or may cause metal in your body to move. In Saskatchewan, Mayfair Diagnostics provides MRI services at our Regina and Saskatoon clinics. In Alberta, we offer both 1.5T and 3T MRI services at our Mayfair Place location in Calgary. The highly sensitive images from the 3T machine allow enhanced imaging of many areas of the body, including neurological imaging. Importantly, these images are obtained without a radiation dose to the patient.Īn MRI’s magnetic field strength is measured in teslas (T). MRI is useful for assessing most body areas and is particularly useful as a sensitive, non-invasive way of imaging the brain, spinal cord, or other areas of the body. As tissues responds differently to these magnetic field alterations, a computer can convert the data into a picture. A radio frequency pulse is then directed at a specific area of the body, while smaller magnets are used to alter the magnetic field on a small, but localized level. HOW DOES AN MRI WORK?Īn MRI scan creates images by exposing hydrogen atoms in water molecules within our body to a magnetic field which controls the direction and frequency at which hydrogen protons spin. Spinal birth defects or other abnormalities, such as curvature of the spine (scoliosis).Ī cervical spine MRI may also be ordered before or after spinal surgery.Other bone abnormalities, or soft tissue or joint disorders.MRI is a very detailed type of medical imaging and can show: Most often this type of exam is used to help diagnose the cause of symptoms in the neck, such as pain or stiffness. Your health care practitioner may request this scan if pain hasn’t improved with basic treatment or if the pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a strong magnetic field and radiofrequency waves to examine the bones of this part of the spine and the soft tissues of your neck. The cervical spine is the part of your spine that runs through your neck.
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