Some MRI scans require an injection of contrast material to help identify certain tissue structures. In this case, the patient is moved out of the tube so an IV can be started. Then it’s back into the tube for more noise—and not much else. There is always a panic-type button a patient can press to alert the technician of a problem.
Once the MRI is complete, the patient can resume normal activities. A physician will make contact with test results as soon as they become available.
MRI procedures are evolving every day. In addition to its role in screening, MRI is becoming the latest, greatest alternative to surgical breast biopsy.
Typically used when areas of concern cannot be seen well enough for mammogram or ultrasound-guided biopsy, MRI-guided biopsy allows a doctor to place a needle into a suspicious area and remove a sample that would have been otherwise hard to target. The procedure requires only topical numbing and leaves little scarring. It’s quicker, less expensive, and has fewer complications than surgical biopsy. It’s another one of the techniques my MRI technician says is becoming more and more common.
Life has changed for my technician whose job is becoming consumed with MRI procedures. He says he thinks this new trend is important. I suspect women at high risk for breast cancer and those in need of swift and painless biopsies would agree.
