“What can I expect during the MRI procedure?”

You will have an IV inserted into a vein. If you are 60 or older, a very small amount of blood is drawn to test your kidney function per the guidelines of the American College of Radiology before bringing you into the MRI suite. Afterward, you will be taken into the MRI suite and positioned on the MRI table. A pre-scan is done first. After that, the breast is scanned from the top of the breast to the bottom of the breast without contrast. When this is completed, the contrast is injected, and the breast is scanned with 0.7 mm slices several times to see timewise how the contrast Is enhancing the breast tissue. It will take about 25 minutes to complete the study. If you have concerns about being in enclosed spaces, please tell the technologist when you first arrive that You would like a sedative, It can be given to you but requires that you have a driver. Otherwise, if you do not need a Sedative, a driver is not necessary. It is extremely important for you to lie still during the entire scan, if you do not, the scan will show motion and it will be an adequate to interpret. Be sure to be well hydrated before you come for your scan as this will help to start an IV.