Claustrophobia and MRI

What happens when a patient fails to have a successful MRI scan due to their claustrophobia?

They are most likely to be sent back to their referring clinician saying that MRI is not possible due to them suffering from claustrophobia. All the while allowing them to worry about their possible diagnosis.

It is possible to reduce this anxiety if patients are aware that there can be an option to conventional closed MRI scanners. The scanner at the Medserena Upright MRI Centre is truly open.

At the Medserena Upright MRI Centre, our focus is on quality. We believe that we are able to offer excellent image quality comparable to most conventional scanners. We have a new FONAR Upright MRI scanner with the latest software that is not utilised elsewhere in the UK. The system has a unique horizontal magnetic field and purpose built receiver coils, combined with the use of imaging sequences optimised over the last 10 years. Our imaging is supervised by Professor Francis Smith, who has unsurpassed experience in Upright MRI.

Because there is nothing in front of the patient’s face during the scan, there is no feeling of claustrophobia.

In fact the Upright scanner is so open, that the patient sits and watches TV during the scan. As this scanner is so well tolerated by those with claustrophobia it provides the only viable solution for those who may otherwise go un-scanned.