Cardiac MRI

What is a Cardiac MRI?

A Cardiac MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of your heart and blood vessels. It’s non-invasive, uses no radiation, and may involve a dye (contrast) to highlight heart structures. It captures both still and moving images to assess heart function.

What Does It Show?

Cardiac MRI shows your heart’s structure, function, and blood flow. It detects issues like heart muscle damage, valve problems, or reduced perfusion (blood flow) due to artery blockages. It also measures heart pumping strength and checks for inflammation or scarring, helping identify conditions like heart failure or inherited disorders of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).

How Does It Help with Treatments?

Cardiac MRI guides your care by:

• Screening: It spots heart issues in patients with symptoms or risk factors (e.g., family history), helping decide if further tests or treatments are needed.

• Diagnosis: helps your cardiologist determine the cause of your symptoms.

• Planning Procedures: For surgeries like bypass surgery, MRI provides precise images to plan appropriate graft planning of the viable myocardium.

This ensures personalised treatment to keep your heart healthy.

What Happens on the Day?

Here’s what to expect:

• Before: Wear metal-free clothes and remove jewellery. Tell your doctor about metal implants or allergies to contrast dye. If you have a cardiac implant (eg. valve replacement), please bring the implant card, so we can assess the safety of MDI.

• During: You’ll lie in a tube-like scanner. It’s noisy, so you will get earplugs and a headphone to listen to your chosen music. You’ll hold your breath briefly for clear images. The scan takes 30-60 minutes and is painless.

• After: Resume normal activities right away. Drink water if dye was used. Results are ready in a few days.

The visit is safe and comfortable. Talk to your doctor about any concerns!