For your safety, before a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan please read the information we have prepared. At the same time, you will learn how the scan procedure will proceed.
Please do not drink coffee immediately before the scan.
Please do not wear make-up.
Please empty the bladder before the scan.
You do not need to fast for the scan but we recommend you wait one hour between meals and the scan.
Before the scan please fill in the prepared safety screening questionnaire. The questionnaire will help us understand and exclude any possible contraindications to perform the scan in your case. You can download the questionnaire in the “Dokumenty do pobrania” section and bring it completed or fill it in directly before the scan.
Then you will be asked to leave in the checkroom all metal or electronic items such as keys, watches, key rings, coins, pens, electronic data storage devices, cell phones, etc. You should also leave magnetic cards of any kind in the checkroom – if they are exposed to a high magnetic field, they may become demagnetized and no longer be usable!
For the scan duration, the patient is asked to lie down on a moving table.
Please lie down comfortably as you will not be able to move during the scan – any movement of the patient during the sequence will distort the image, making it difficult or impossible to describe the scan. The technician then attaches the appropriate coils to the anatomical region indicated on the referral, and moves the table into the MRI scanner.
If you are inside the tunnel, you will be exposed to a lot of noise from the equipment – please do not worry, all disturbing noises are related to the normal operation of the equipment.
A system of cameras and loudspeakers inside the scanner keeps watch over the patient throughout the scan. In addition, the patient is given a buzzer so that they can stop the scan if they feel unwell.
In patients who are referred for an MRI scan with contrast, a nurse will place a venipuncture into a vein immediately before the scan. Sometimes the decision to inject contrast is made by the radiologist during the scan. We kindly ask you to indicate in the scan questionnaire whether you agree to the possible administration of contrast material, which is administered in order to better assess anatomical structures.
Before the scan, it is necessary to fill in the medical records.
Patients are asked to report [B1] 15 minutes before the scheduled scan time in order to complete the information or to come with a printed and completed questionnaire. Download your copy of the questionnaire here
The duration varies by anatomical region and is:
Cardiac scan: about 60 minutes
One spine segment: about 15-20 minutes
Head without contrast: about 30 minutes
Head with contrast: about 40 minutes
Joints (knee, shoulder, hip joints): about 60 minutes
Abdominal cavity: about 60 minutes
NOTE:
Sometimes the duration of the scan changes if a more thorough diagnosis is needed.
Hospitalized patients are admitted out of turn, which may slightly delay the scan time. As scans are sometimes delayed, please reserve more time. Claims for delayed appointments will not be honored if the delay is due to provision of services to hospitalized patients or late arrivals.
You can schedule a scan by contacting the reception center by phone between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm on weekdays. You can also register for the scan with the online registration system available 24h/7d.
During registration, the following information will be requested:
First and last name
PESEL [Personal Identification Number]
Contact phone number
Prior medical records