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What Is An MRI Scan? MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a technique that has been used since the early 1980’s to get an internal picture of specified areas of the body. You will lie in a large, cylinder shaped magnet that uses radio waves 10,000-30,000 times stronger than the earths magnetic field. The magnet sends differing radio waves through the tissues in the body to show up what types of tissues are present. As it does this, the particles in the cells of the tissues bounce. As they move back into their original place, they send out a radio wave of their own. A specialized computer then turns these waves of energy into a picture of the types of tissues present in the area of the body being scanned. Different types of tissues emit differing signal strengths, bones usually look dark on the scans and fatty tissues look much brighter. The MRI scan provides such a detailed picture of your body, it is possible for your Consultant to see if there are any little growths or abnormalities in the area being scanned. As the MRI scan is like a very defined photograph of the internal workings of your body, if you need an operation your Consultant will then use your MRI scan to guide him to the correct area of the problem. |
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