Dear patient, Dear patient,

In the following, we will explain to you how we perform an MRI examination of the heart.

Before the MRI examination

As the examination is to be carried out on an outpatient basis, we would ask you to bring a referral form (for patients with statutory health insurance) from your GP and use it to register at our Central Patient Admission Centre near the main entrance on the day of the examination.

You will find us on main level 1 between lift systems B and C. Once you have arrived, you will be given MRI-suitable clothing and asked to remove all metal-containing materials such as jewellery, mobile phone, glasses, wallet/coin, hearing aid, etc. One of our MRI-certified doctors will then talk to you in detail about your symptoms and the procedure and risks of the examination.

Please bring any existing medical documents with you.

The MRI examination

The patient will then be led into the examination room by our staff, where they will be seated comfortably on a couch in a supine position. In the case of a contrast agentIf a contrast agent is to be administered, we will place an infusion needle in the arm for the duration of the examination. An ECG and a blood pressure cuff are applied and headphones are put on. The latter protects the ears from the loud tapping noises of the tomograph.

The patient is then slowly pushed head first into the tomograph on the couch. The tube is open at both ends and the legs look out from the knees downwards. The patient is also given a bell with which they can make themselves heard at any time during the examination. In this case, we would immediately enquire about the patient's well-being and stop the examination if necessary.

A doctor is present at all times!

The duration of the examination is between 20 and 35 minutes, depending on the complexity of the problem. During this time, it is extremely important to lie still and not move. In addition, we will repeatedly ask the patient to hold their breath for a few seconds (usually <10 sec) on command via headphones. Both are important for analysable image quality.

After the MRI examination

We can often inform the patient of the initial results immediately after the end of the examination.

Depending on the referral, the examination results are discussed in detail either in our cardiology outpatient clinic or by the referring cardiologist in private practice (in this case, please make an appointment there). The examination results are usually sent to the attending physicians on the day of the examination.

Do you suffer from claustrophobia?

Then you are not alone! In most cases, we can help with prism glasses, among other things, which allow a less cramped view in the tomograph and therefore more relaxation. If this is not enough, we offer the administration of a short-acting tranquilliser(midazolam). As this medication can lead to impaired reaction and judgement, you must not actively participate in road traffic 24 hours after administration (organise your journey home) and should refrain from carrying out dangerous activities during this period.

Stress test (optional)

The aim of a stress test is to be able to draw conclusions about the function of the coronary arteries by measuring the blood flow in the heart muscles. It only takes 3-4 minutes and is integrated into the overall examination. In this case, a total of two infusion needles are placed in the patient's arms - one for the contrast medium and one for the stress medication adenosine or dobutamine (the choice is based on the individual question).

Patients describe a temporary slight pressure on the chest as a side effect and may have to breathe a little more heavily for a short time. However, these symptoms only last 3-4 minutes.

The patient is informed of the start and end of this exercise test via headphones so that they are not surprised by these side effects.

If a stress test is planned, please avoid the following substances 24 hours before the start of the test:

When administering:

• Adenosine → pause caffeine and tein, breakfast is possible (i.e. no coffee, black/green tea, cola, chocolate, cocoa, ...)
• Dobutamine → pause beta blockers and come sober

The patient can also take their other medication unchanged before the examination!