What is MRI and how is it done?
Magnetic resonance imaging – MRI or also colloquially called magnetic resonance imaging – has gained an increasingly prominent role in prostate cancer diagnostics.
Previously, punctures of the prostate gland were made either by the urologist being able to feel a change through the rectum or by the entire prostate gland being biopsied with a matrix of needles.
Today, instead, MRI is performed first to determine whether there is a tumor to be biopsied and where it is located in the prostate gland. An MRI examination is therefore absolutely crucial for increased precision in prostate diagnostics and treatment.
Preparations and examination time
For an examination with an MRI, the patient must answer a number of questions as individual metal objects in the body prevent examination. This applies primarily to metals that are magnetic and some implanted electronic equipment, such as older pacemakers.
The patient should be prepared to go into a more than one-meter-deep “tunnel” where the magnetic field is located. Some may experience discomfort from this, such as phobias. Our experienced staff creates calm and security during the examination so that this is not experienced as unnecessary discomfort. In some cases, patients should prepare by fasting and taking a simple enema before the prostate examination. All instructions will be sent to your home in advance.