Centers For Imaging
Great patient care starts with great diagnostic imaging. Centers For Imaging is one of the most advanced MRI practices in Central Florida offering cutting-edge technologies in a relaxed and caring atmosphere to improve the healthcare experience for our patients. Our team of radiologists and MRI technicians work together to provide comprehensive imaging analysis and excellent customer service for auto injuries in Orlando.
Services We Offer
MRI
An MRI, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a non-invasive way to visualize the internal structures of the body using magnets, radiofrequency waves, and powerful computers. MRIs can produce images of soft tissues, such as intervertebral discs and spinal cord, that are more precise and detailed than a traditional x-ray.
Open MRI
Different than the traditional cylindrical shape, this is an MRI machine that is open on three sides. It does not surround the patient's entire body, which offers a more relaxed environment for claustrophobic patients. Open MRI is a great option for those who cannot use a closed design for various reasons, while still receiving quality diagnostic imaging of their injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injury Protocols
DTI, sometimes called DT-MRI, is short for Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This innovative diagnostic technique is a variation on the standard MRI that is used to create images of internal organs through magnetic images. DTI isolates water movement within the brain, which allows doctors to pinpoint regions that are not functioning properly. Traditional MRI scans cannot highlight these abnormalities because they do not have the capability of tracking water molecules in the same way.
Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) is a technological advancement that enhances the contrast in MRIs to detect the differences and characteristics of tissues in the brain. It is particularly useful for the visualization of veins in the brain, which is helpful to see traumatic brain injury or bleeding after an auto accident.
What to Expect
Very little preparation for an MRI exam is needed, but you should not carry objects containing metal into the MRI exam room.
Before your exam, you will be asked to complete an MRI Screening Form and discuss any implants in your body that may contain metal.
You will likely be asked to change into a gown. During the MRI you will be positioned on a table which is moved into an open-ended tube. Special coils that are able to send and receive the pulses used to create the images may be positioned around the body part being examined.
During the scanning process, you will be inside the scanner. You will hear clicking or banging noises as the magnetic field is altered as part of the normal exam process. The banging varies in time and in loudness, sometimes occurring rapidly and sometimes just occasionally. The sounds are part of every MRI exam.
The time for the MRI exam depends upon the imaging exam being performed, with an average amount of 20-45 minutes. During the exam, you will be expected to hold relatively still. You may be asked to repeatedly hold your breath for a few seconds at a time. Motion affects the quality of the images, so it is important to hold still. You will be in view of and in constant communication with the technologist throughout the exam.
Safety First!
MRI safety is our top priority! Because the powerful magnet is ALWAYS on, all removable metal such as jewelry, watches, hairpins, and cell phones will be removed. These metal objects can become dangerous if allowed to enter the MRI suite. The magnet can also interfere with certain implanted devices as indicated below. Other metal within the body can create problems with the images. For these reasons, you will be carefully screened prior to your MRI both at the time of scheduling and prior to entering the room.
If you have any of the following, please discuss with our schedulers and technologists, as you may not be able to undergo MRI:
pacemakers or implantable defibrillators (there are a few pacemakers which are MRI compatible, but special precautions must still occur with these; patients with other pacemakers cannot enter the MRI suite)
- cochlear (inner ear) implants
- neurostimulators
- some aneurysm clips
- implanted medication pumps
- catheters with metal tips
- some medication patches
If you have the following, MRI can usually be done, although special precautions may be necessary:
- metallic spinal rods
- joint replacements
- plates and/or screws for bone repair
Wear comfortable clothing without metal. No jewelry, watches, or metal can enter the MRI suite.
Let us know when you schedule your MRI if you have any metal in your body from prior injury or surgery, any implanted surgical devices like stimulators or a pacemaker. MRI safety is our top priority!
Relax and communicate.
If you have claustrophobia, there are things we can do to help you through the exam. Oral sedatives can help if you have severe claustrophobia. If an oral sedative is used, you will need a safe ride home and a little extra time for the sedative to take effect.
Due to the process of MRI, children under the age of 12 will need to be accompanied by an adult throughout the visit.
Claustrophobia and MRI
If you are scared about your MRI, keep in mind that people talk about MRI and claustrophobia (fear of being in a closed space) based on what they have heard or experienced in the past. Not all of this is true today, older MRI machines had narrower tunnels than modern MRI equipment. The older machines were often relatively dark, and the scanner's ceiling was very close to the patient’s face and head.
- Our scanners are fully lit, ventilated, and open at both ends. These machines greatly improve patients’ comfort during the exam and also yield higher resolution so the images are clearer.
- Our state-of-the-art MRI scanners have “motion correction” imaging that allows for a faster examination. That means the patient is in the scanner for a shorter time.
- For some MRI exams, depending on the body part being imaged, we may not need to have your head inside the scanner at all. This dramatically lowers the expectation or experience of claustrophobia. For example, exams of the knee, foot or leg do not require patients to enter the MRI scanner tube completely—only the leg is in the tube.
- We try to find the most comfortable and easiest method for you to successfully complete your MRI. Our well-trained technologists work very closely with you to help lower anxieties, and we will tell you how long to expect your imaging to actually take. If you are concerned about how you will tolerate your MRI exam, we urge you to ask your doctor to develop a plan to help you. If you are having a MRI appointment, your doctor may prescribe an oral medication for you to take to minimize your anxiety.
- During your exam, our technologist will see you and be in contact with you at all times. Speakers inside the scanner will enable the technologist to communicate with you and hear what you say. You also will have a call button (in the form of a squeeze ball) so that you can let the technologist know if you have any problems relaxing during the procedure.
- If you wish, you can be given earplugs or a headset to help block out noise from the scanner.
You may still feel unable to control your fears or that you will be terribly uncomfortable due to back pain, breathing issues or something else. If you think the MRI will somehow be a problem, your primary doctor can consult with one of our radiologists to determine the best plan for you. The plan may include consideration of an Open unit (Open MRI), a different test (not an MRI) or consideration of a sedative for you ahead of time. In those cases, you will then need to plan for an adult to give you a ride home from the exam.
Depending on your exam, if you prefer to have a close friend or family member come with you to the MRI exam, we may be able to arrange for them to be in the MRI room with you during the exam (as long as they, too, are screened for “no metal”—just as you are).
Traumatic Brain Injury Protocols
During an auto accident, it is possible for brain injury to occur. One type of traumatic brain injury is called “non-penetrating”, when some external force produces movement of the brain inside of the skull. An example of this would be a car accident, causing a person’s head to move back and forth very quickly. This can cause damage to the white matter of the brain.
White matter is a part of the brain made of bundles of nerve cells that carry electrical impulses. Think of them as wires that connect parts of the brain together and carry important information. When there is trauma to the brain, these bundles can get stretched or torn which interrupts communication between the cells and can cause post-concussive symptoms.
Severe traumatic brain injury such as bleeding, brain swelling, and prolonged loss of consciousness are all possibilities after a traumatic crash. Although most people recover and improve within three months, about 20% of people suffer from continued symptoms such as memory problems, depression and cognitive difficulties for six months or more.
At Centers For Imaging, we are proud to offer advanced brain scanning techniques to identify traumatic brain injuries.
DTI, sometimes called DT-MRI, is short for Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This innovative diagnostic technique is a variation on the standard MRI that is used to create images of internal organs through magnetic images. The DTI isolates water movement within the brain, which allows doctors to pinpoint regions that are not functioning properly. Traditional MRI scans cannot highlight these abnormalities because they do not have the capability of tracking water molecules in the same way.
SWI is a technological advancement that enhances the contrast in MRIs to detect the differences and characteristics of tissues in the brain. It is particularly useful for the visualization of veins in the brain, which is helpful to see traumatic brain injury or bleeding after an auto accident.
Meet The Team
Sean Mahan
Diagnostic Radiologist
Joe Sekelsky
Registered Technologists in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Jennifer Burns
Registered Technologists in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Victor Rocher
Registered Technologists in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Leslie Tallent
Registered Technologists in Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Testimonials
"Wonderful professionals, pleasant to deal with, extremely smart and friendly, skilled workers and probably the most professional and well educated young professionals I have ever had the opportunity to do business with and to take care of me. Excellent telephone communications and service. I have been having to deal with MRI, CAT Scan, many x-rays and hundreds of tests due to being in many car accidents, due to drivers behind me talking on cell phones and they not paying attention to their driving."
- C. Thompson Dunn