How is an MRI scan performed?

The scan is usually done as an outpatient procedure, which means that the patient can go home after the test. During the scan it is important to lie completely still.

For this reason it might be necessary to give a child an anaesthetic before they are tested.

Since you are exposed to a powerful magnetic field during the MRI scan, it is important not to wear jewellery or any other metal objects.

It is also important for the patient to inform medical staff if they use electrical appliances, such as a hearing aid or pacemaker, or have any metal in their body such as surgical clips, but orthopaedic metalware such as artificial hips or bone screws is not normally a problem.