Breast MRI??? HELP!

[shirl000]

My doctor has requested a breast MRI for me due to my family history of breast cancer.  My grandmother had it and my sister was 36 when she died from it.  I do not have breast cancer.  My question is, can someone give me a detailed description of a breast MRI?  I have had other MRIs and only go to the open MRI due to anxiety.  But the breast MRI will be in a regular machine.  I am stressed about it,  Anyway, I am wondering how far into the machine you go. Is your face out of the machine or in the machine? If anyone could give me some specific details about your bodys postition during the MRI I would really be greatful.  Thank you

[gandlbell]

I had a breast MRI a few months ago.  The position is on your belly with your arms over your head and your face on a padded oval, kind of like superman flying.  The place for your face is like the one on a massage table. Your face and arms are pretty much out.  Your breasts hang down into two MRI cones, and you lie on your sternum.  For me lying on that bone was the most uncomfortable part.  My shoulders hurt when it was finished because of staying in one position for so long.  Be sure to get really comfortable before they start. I had to have the face pad moved.  They give you a button to push if you need to talk to them or stop the test.  I almost fell asleep during my MRI. I have claustrophobia problems and had a difficult time with a bone scan but not with the MRI.  I hope it goes fine for you.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear shirl000,  During breast MRI, the patient lies on her stomach on the scanning table. During the breast MRI, the breast hangs into a depression or hollow in the table, this contains coils that detect the magnetic signal.  During a breast MRI, the table is moved into a tube-like machine that contains the magnet.  After an initial series of Breast MRI images have been taken, the patient may be given a contrast agent intravenously (by injection into a vein).  The contrast agent used in a breast MRI is not radioactive; it is sometimes used to improve the visibility of a tumor. Additional breast MRI images are then taken. The entire breast MRI session takes about 45 minutes.