You may notice a warm feeling in the area being studied. This is normal, but do not hesitate to report it if it bothers you. If you receive a contrast medium injection there may be some local discomfort at the IV site. A radiologist experienced in MRI will analyze the results and send a report to your physician, along with an interpretation of the findings. Your physician in turn will discuss the MRA findings with you.
Some centers now send diagnostic reports and images over the Internet, speeding up the process.
Benefits Detailed images of blood vessels and blood flow are obtained without having to insert a catheter directly into the area of interest, so that there is no risk of damaging an artery. The procedure itself and the time needed to recover are shorter than after a traditional catheter angiogram . MRA is less costly than catheter angiography. During an MRA exam, the patient has to lie completely still for shorter periods than during CT angiography . There is no exposure to x-rays during an MRI study.