MRI poses no known risk to most patients if appropriate safety guidelines are followed. However, for some patients, MRI may be inadvisable. You should tell your doctor if you have or believe that you might have any of the following:

• Brain aneurysm clips
• Cardiac pacemaker
• Are or maybe pregnant
• Implanted medication pumps
• Implanted nerve stimulating devices
• Intrauterine device (IUD)
• Any other surgically implanted or metallic object in your body

For the safety of staff and patients the MRI environment needs to remain free of metal objects. Here are some examples of what must be removed before entering the scan room:

• all jewelry including watches
• eyeglasses
• removable metallic dental work
• hairclips and hairpins
• hearing aids
• keys
• coins
• wallets and credit cards

Will It Hurt

NO. MRI imaging is not painful. However, for some, lying still can be slightly uncomfortable; minimizing movement is necessary to obtain the best possible pictures. As in photography, a shifting subject will result in a picture that is blurry.