We offer MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) services at our Shoreline office as a convenience to our patients. We offer appointments from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and can often schedule urgent MRI exams same day and after hours, with results available within 24 hours. Our MRI unit is specifically designed for extremity imaging, and with its open structure is virtually claustrophobia free.
You don’t need to be our patient to schedule an MRI exam. We accept referrals directly to our MRI service for extremity exams – hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, feet, ankles and knees. You will need to get a referral from your physician prior to scheduling an appointment.
You may contact us at 206-363-6947 to schedule an appointment or learn more about our MRI services.
“With our dedicated open MRI, we take the fear out of the process and make it a pleasant one.”
-Staff member
“We will do everything we can to make your MRI experience comfortable and hassle free.”
-Robin Bliss, ARRT, MRI Technologist
Robin graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bard College in New York. After working as a Case Manager in Boulder, Colorado for 7 years, she moved to Seattle and completed an Associates Degree in Radiographic Technology from Pima Medical Institute in 1995. She is registered in both MRI and CT and has worked at Providence and Monroe Valley General Hospital before coming to Northwest Hand and Orthopedics. She has 17 years experience in MRI.
FAQ
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe, totally painless exam used to look at soft tissue inside your body to provide detailed diagnostic information for your physician. The MRI exam uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create soft tissue images of the body part being scanned. These images provide much more detailed information than plain X-ray films without exposure to radiation.
NON-CLAUSTROPHOBIC
Our MRI unit is a state-of-the-art open extremity unit, which virtually eliminates the claustrophobia associated with traditional MRI units. With our unit, the only part of your body placed in the magnet is the body part actually being scanned. Our unit is designed specifically for extremity imaging – hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, feet, ankles & knees – and is one of the most comfortable and least confining MRI systems available. If you’ve had a previous MRI, you will appreciate the difference.
YOUR MRI EXAM
You can eat, drink and take regularly prescribed medication prior to your MRI exam. Please arrive about 15 minutes before your exam, dress comfortably and bring your favorite music CD to listen to. The MRI exam will take approximately 45-60 minutes. Your results for routine exams will generally be available within 5 days, and urgent exams can often be read within 24 hours. Contra-indications to having an MRI include cardiac pacemaker, pregnancy, aneurysm clips and cochlear implants. If you have had a stent placement, aneurysm clip or prosthesis, please bring in the card showing MRI compatibility of the device or hardware.
Your Northwest Hand physician will go over the results of the MRI exam with you during your next scheduled appointment
