Prof Ruparelia may suggest a cardiac MRI (CMR) to diagnose (or exclude the presence) of a wide range of cardiac conditions. These include congenital abnormalities, inherited cardiac conditions (e.g. cardiomyopathy), pathology of the cardiac muscle or valvular abnormalities.
You will be asked to attend for your CMR at a pre-specified time. You may required to have your renal (kidney) function checked prior to the test due to the requirement of contrast administration.
When you attend for your CMR study, the radiographer and lead consultant will go through a final safety check list.
A small cannula will be inserted in the vein in your arm through which contrast can be administered.
You will be asked to lie down on a table and go inside. It can be a little noisy and so your are given some headphones through which you can listen to music. During the study you will be asked to follow instruction with regards to breath holding to ensure that the best possible images can be obtained.
The study usually takes approximately 45 minutes but can be a little shorter or longer depending on the specific indication of the study.
A CMR is very safe with a very small risk (<0.01%) of an adverse reaction to the contrast administered. This can be managed at the time in the rare event of occurrence.
Following your CMR scan, the images are reported by a specialist radiologist and the results are usually available within 24-48 hours. Prof Ruparelia will arrange a time to meet you to discuss the results and formulate an ongoing management plan.
Professor Neil Ruparelia 2024