Prostate MRI

Be sure to tell your doctor

• A pacemaker, defibrillator, or other implant with electronics
• Metal in your body: joint replacements, plates, clips on blood vessels, or shrapnel
• If you recently had a prostate biopsy. Say the date. The MRI is sometimes moved
• Allergy to contrast dye, or kidney disease
• If you are afraid of closed spaces. Your doctor will suggest ways to help

How to prepare

• Bowel. Sometimes you are asked to use a small cleansing enema the evening before or in the morning. Check with the clinic.
• Food. Usually no food for 3 to 4 hours.
• Abstinence. Often 2 to 3 days without ejaculation is advised. Ask your doctor.
• Metal. Take off everything metal: jewelry, watches, hair clips, piercings. Leave your phone and cards in the locker.

What to bring

• Your referral
• A recent PSA test
• Past MRIs and biopsy reports
• A creatinine test, if asked

How it goes

1. You change and leave everything metal in the locker
2. You lie on the table, and a soft coil pad is placed over the area
3. Sometimes a medicine is given so the bowel moves less
4. The machine knocks loudly. You get headphones or earplugs
5. Lie still. Staff talk to you over an intercom
6. At the end, contrast is given into a vein

What you'll feel

• It does not hurt, but it is loud and tight
• Sometimes the area feels warm. That is normal
• With contrast: a cool feeling in the vein

Afterwards

• You can go back to your day right away
• After contrast, drink more water, unless your doctor said otherwise
• The report includes a risk score. Take it to your urologist