DOTmed: Tell us about this purchase. Loyola University Health System now offers a powerful new MRI machine that can scan a leg or an arm without many of the usual inconveniences.
Most MRI machines are tubes that are 5- or 6-feet long and patients lie inside for about 45 minutes.
In the extremity MRI, the patient sits in a comfortable reclining chair and inserts his or her arm or leg into the machine.
The extremity MRI, available at the new Loyola Center for Health at Burr Ridge, will benefit patients who for various reasons cannot be scanned inside enclosed-tube MRIs.
For example, some patients experience mild to extreme feelings of claustrophobia inside MRI tubes. And patients with conditions such as back pain and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot lie flat on their backs. "With this innovative scanner, we can accommodate extremity imaging for patients in a manner that is efficient, comfortable and effective," said Dr. Scott A. Mirowitz, chairman of the Department of Radiology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
DOTmed: Any final thoughts? The new extremity MRI makes it easier and more comfortable to scan arms and legs. This new 1.5T MRI also makes it faster.
