What is MRI Scan and When is Most Useful ?

Featuring Dr. Audrey Spielmann, MD, FRCPC

What is MRI Scan and When is Most Useful ? Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

So MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, and basically the patient, or part of the patient, is put into a magnet, and it affects the way the protons spin in the body.

All our tissues have protons spinning and when you're put into the magnet and we do certain sequences it allows us to image body parts in amazing detail.

Well the MRI is very safe. One of the benefits of MRI is that there's no radiation exposure at all. And there's been a lot of coverage of the radiation from CT scans so we can get exquisite imaging with no harmful effect to patients.

Because you're put in a magnet, there are certain contraindications, or limitations. For example, if somebdy has a pacemaker, certain metal in their body, for example, in their eye, that sort of thing. There's an extensive checklist that we go through to make sure that it's safe for the patietns to go into it.

Well if people have any more questions they should talk to their family doctor, or referring doctor or they can call an imaging center for further discussion.

Presenter: Dr. Audrey Spielmann, Radiologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Radiologist