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Could a patient be on their stomach or side during an MRI exam?

I have had CT scans while on my side and it was no problem. The MRI technician says it is impossible to perform an MRI unless the patient is flat on their back.

Chris
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blacksmith37
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1 Answers1

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In the case of your MRI, it's probably very simple: if you're lying on your side, you won't fit in the machine.

There's nothing inherent in the MRI scanning process that requires any particular position. Rather, the MRI scanner is made as small as possible to improve imaging quality. The platform the patient lies on occupies the bottom of the imaging area, so a scanner just barely wide enough to accommodate a patient's shoulders or hips when lying back won't be tall enough to fit a patient lying on their side.

Mark
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