MRI Scans
AVAILABLE AT: Mediclinic Bloemfontein | Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital
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South Africa has MRI scanners stronger than car magnets by thousands of times
A standard MRI uses a 1.5T–3T magnet, which is up to 60,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.
You can’t enter an MRI room with ANY metal
The magnet is always on.
In South Africa, the funniest items recorded stuck to MRI rooms include:
• mop buckets
• keys
• stethoscopes
• a metal chair (yes, really)
MRI isn’t just for humans — SA scans wildlife too
South African veterinarians have used MRI for meerkats, dogs, birds of prey, and even large wild animals when possible (with sedation).
Pretoria and Cape Town vet hospitals are known for advanced animal imaging.
South African radiographers are internationally recognised
SA-trained MRI radiographers are highly sought after globally, especially in the UK, Australia, and the Middle East.
MRI helps preserve African archaeological finds
Researchers use MRI and micro-MRI to study ancient bones, artefacts and mummified remains without damaging them.
South Africa was one of the first African countries to install a 3 Tesla MRI
3T scanners provide extremely detailed images — they’re used in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and other major centres.
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging uses a very powerful magnet and radiofrequency pulses to collect signals that are processed by a computer to form a picture of the body part being studied. It has the advantage that no ionising radiation is used to acquire the images.
MRI provides excellent soft tissues detail and is primarily used to evaluate the soft tissues of the body e.g. muscles, ligaments, brain, discs and blood vessels. Similar to CT an intravenous ( Gadolinium-containing) contrast agent is sometimes administered for better evaluation of the organs and lesions.
MRI is painless but may be noisy. Scans take between 30 – 40 minutes.
Because of the strong magnetic field used, anyone with a pacemaker, nerve stimulator, cochlear implant, clips in the brain and metal chips in the eye might not be able to get a MRI. For this reason you will need to complete a safety questionnaire prior to the procedure.
Drs van Dyk and partners recently acquired a new state of the art MRI machine, expanding and improving the scope of our MRI investigations. The new scanner is equipped with a wide tunnel bore to better facilitate patients with claustrophobia. Its bed can also accommodate patients with a weight of up to 250kg.
Women who are pregnant must alert their doctor and the radiographer if they are being scheduled for an MRI scan.
If you have a history of allergies or previous reactions to iodinated contrast, please inform your doctor and the radiographer before having a MRI scan.