Great experience at this Open MRI location. It was my first time getting an MRI, and it was so quick and easy! The staff were awesome from the very beginning. I mostly dealt with Richard who mans the front desk. He was super nice and answered all of my multiple questions and phone calls.
The facility is clean and had a nice little waiting area with a TV. The technician doing my scan was the second staff member I encountered here, and he too was very nice! Helped me get ready, made sure I was comfortable, and guided me through the procedure. He told me every time a new test was starting, and the approximate amount of time it would take (i.e. "This test will take 30 seconds," "this one will last 5 minutes," etc.).
Open MRI is a chain that advertises a more comfortable experience due to their machines being "open" - you're not enclosed in a tube. I will say for a brain scan, you're still pretty covered up, but you can see the room from your peripheral vision so you don't feel totally enclosed. For brain MRI's you also have a sort of barrier put around your head and face to ensure you remain still, and then little pillows are tucked in for even more security. It sounds like a lot but I was actually very comfortable! Since you're in there for about 25 minutes, you can just close your eyes and relax.
Two things that could improve the experience next time:
1) A list of do's and don'ts emailed to you before your procedure. I was told a few things ahead of time, but I was also nervous about doing/wearing something wrong because this was my first MRI. Any single thing that could have a trace of metal in it became a concern to me, so I was frantically googling before my appointment. "Can you wear makeup during an MRI?" "Uh-oh, I put some dry shampoo in this morning and found this article saying that it can interfere with testing." These were a few of the thoughts going through my head. It ended up being fine once I got there, so maybe I had no reason to worry, but a list up front could help for those that like to be prepared!
2) When I was being rolled under the machine, my head was momentarily stopped right under a laser which was directly in line with my eyesight. I luckily looked away because I have worked around similar lasers in the past and obviously know not to stare into them, but this should not happen at all. The laser should be off (if possible) when you roll under the machine so that it's not in line with your eyesight. Or, you should be told to at least close your eyes and be rolled quickly past that spot. Maybe it was a fluke on my visit and most people quickly pass this spot, but I just thought it was a weird thing that causes concern for safety. I will call the facility to let them know about this as well.
Overall I had a pleasant experience at this location and would recommend them to others who need to get an MRI. read more
