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ONSITE SEDATION
Because our radiologists are always on site, they are able to provide oral or intravenous sedation when necessary.
Claustrophobia:
Claustrophobic patients are often anxious about the MRI experience, usually triggered by the thought of lying in a long narrow tube. However, modern MRI's have much shorter and wider cylinders than in years past, making the experience much more comfortable for claustrophobic patients. Sometimes, your head doesn't even need to be inside the gantry, depending on the body part being imaged.
Our radiologists will also prescribe oral or intravenous medication for onsite sedation. You don't need a prescription from your referring doctor or need to take medication in advance of your appointment. Simply tell your referring doctor or our office staff at the time your exam is scheduled and we will make the appropriate arrangements. Make sure to have someone to drive you home after your examination.
Sedation:
Sedation is a means of lowering the anxiety level and somewhat depressing the state of consciousness of a claustrophobic patient so that an examination can be completed without difficulty. This is usually indicated for MRI patients. We do not put patients "to sleep" as is done with general anesthesia.
Because we have the shortest and widest MRI scanners available in the world as well as the highest quality open MRI's available in the world, we find that many claustrophobic patients find the MRI experience at our facilities pleasant and non-anxiety provoking, even without medication.
Oral sedation:
For patients who have a mild to moderate degree of claustrophobia, we will prescribe an oral medication onsite 30 minutes prior to your exam start time with the permission and prior arrangement with your referring physician.
Intravenous sedation For patients who have a severe degree of claustrophobia, an intravenous agent is sometimes necessary. This will be administered onsite with the prior permission and arrangement with your referring physician.
Preparation:
Please do not eat or drink 6 hours prior to your appointment time.
Please arrive at the center 30 minutes prior to your exam. Children under 50 pounds should arrive 1 hour early. Make sure to have someone available to drive you home after your appointment. |
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RAPID REPORTING
Once the examination is completed, the patient is free to leave. The images are then sent digitally to one of our subspecialty-trained radiologists for interpretation. The results are then mailed and faxed to your referring doctor the same day or the following morning.
If it is an urgent case, you will be escorted to the waiting room, while our radiologist discusses the findings of the case with your referring doctor, who will then decide the next plan of treatment.
Occasionally, patients will take their MRI films with them, based on the request of the referring doctor.
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INSURANCE PLANS
Accepted plans:
We accept all insurance plans, except Florida Hospital, Health Choice and Health First. We work with all patients without insurance to achieve an affordable payment plan.
Self-pay:
For patients who do not have insurance coverage or for examinations that are not approved by your insurance company, we will tailor payment plans to each individual depending on the type of exam needed. |
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WEB ACCESS
All of our images are digitally acquired, rapidly reviewed and stored on our secured achive server for immediate viewing by your referring doctors.
Using a unique user name and password, your referring physician will be able to view your exam images from his office computer through an internet link with our facility.
This will decrease the amount of time between the completion of your exam and when your doctor can view the images.
We also expedite the process by ensuring our radiologists reports are faxed and mailed the same day or next morning. Films are also delivered to your physician's office the same day or next morning at his/her request. |
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SAME-DAY SCHEDULING
Our scheduling staff works hard to accommodate all exam requests the day they are requested.
All urgent scans are performed immediately.
When To Arrive For Your Exam Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your exam start time. If you are to receive oral or intravenous sedation, we please ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to the exam start time. IF YOU ARE RECEIVING SEDATION, PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO DRIVE YOU HOME AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT.
How Long Will the Exam Take?
Typically, an MRI will take between 15 and 30 minutes. If there is more than one body part being examined, an MRI may take up to 45 minutes. A CT scan will usually take less than 15 minutes.
Forms to Bring Please make sure to bring your insurance card and your exam prescription from your referring doctor to your appointment.
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