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Understanding Abdominal MRI: A Safe, Detailed Look Inside

Get a closer look at your insides without radiation. Abdominal MRIs help diagnose issues quickly and safely.

In the image we can see there is a man sitting on the chair.
In the image we can see there is a man sitting on the chair.

Understanding Abdominal MRI: A Safe, Detailed Look Inside

An abdominal MRI scan is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that uses magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the body's internal structures. It's often ordered when earlier tests like X-rays or blood work show abnormal results.

Before an MRI, inform your doctor about any metal implants, a pacemaker, or if you need images of your colon. Metal objects are not allowed near MRIs due to the machine's use of magnets. During the scan, you'll lie on your back on a bench that slides into a large tube, and you must stay very still. People who are claustrophobic or get nervous in enclosed spaces may feel uncomfortable in the MRI machine.

Abdominal MRI scans can be used to examine blood flow, blood vessels, investigate pain or swelling, and examine lymph nodes. There are no documented side effects from the radio waves and magnetism used in an MRI. After the scan, you can resume normal daily activities, and results may take a few days to a week or more to be interpreted.

The first MRI device was developed by Dr. Raymond Damadian together with Dr. Larry Minkoff in the USA. Damadian filed the first patent in 1972 after demonstrating the principal possibility in 1971, and the first scan of a human body took place in 1977 using a device he named 'Indomitable'. MRI allows doctors to examine soft tissues without bones obstructing the view and uses no radiation.

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