The MRI scan is one of the newest technology for imagining in the medical world today. Apart from the fact that it is more explicit than most other types of scanning equipment like the CT and X-ray scans, it also shows more in terms of the internal structure of the human.

With the importance of the MRI scan growing by the day in Nigeria, it is essential to consider basic facts about the scan and how much the session costs in Nigeria today.

How Much Does MRI Scan Cost in Nigeria?

MRI scan comes in different types. These types vary in procedures and prices. One of the main challenges patients face is in Nigeria is the availability and accessibility of hospitals, clinics, and stations for MRI scans. MRI scanners are very expensive and are not as readily available as most other types of scanners like the X-ray and CT scanners. The amount MRI scan goes for depending on certain factors including the type of MRI scan and the hospital or clinic where the scan is to be done.

Generally, the full-body MRI scan is the most common type of MRI scan in Nigeria today and largely the most expensive. To simplify this, we will take a look at how much various types of MRI scan cost in Nigeria.

• Cranial MRI – N50, 000 – N80, 000
• Cervical spine MRI – N50, 000 – N80, 000
• Thoracic spine MRI – N50, 000 – N80, 000
• Lumbosacral MRI is N50, 000 – N80, 000
• Full-Body MRI – N200, 000 – N800, 000

The heavy variation in the prices as stated above is a result of certain factors including the hospital or clinic the MRI scan is conducted.

MRI Scan: What You Should Know About the Scan

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a radiology procedure scan that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a processor to yield images of body structures. The MRI scanner is a tube bounded by a colossal circular magnet.

The patient undergoing the scan is strategically placed on a transportable bed that is slowly inserted into the magnet. The electromagnet generates a strong magnetic field that brings into line the protons of hydrogen atoms, which are then open to a beam of radio waves. This spins the protons of the body of the patient, and they produce a dim signal that is sensed by the receiver section of the scanner. A computer then processes the information received and eventually produces an image of the internal structure of the patient.

MRI images are very detailed with clear resolution. It detects even the tiniest of changes of structures in the human body. There are various types of MRI scanners. In some cases, contrast agents like gadolinium are used to further increase the correctness, precision, and accuracy of the image produced.

Uses of MRI Scan

MRI scan is one of the most useful technology advancement in the medical world today. The scan can easily be used as a very accurate method of disease detection all through the body. It is usually used after most other test procedures fail to offer enough information to ratify a patient’s diagnosis.

For instance, injuries in the head can cause a lot of assumptions. trauma to the brain can be mistaken as bleeding or swelling. Other irregularities often discovered by the MRI scan include brain aneurysms, stroke, tumours of the brain, as well as tumours or irritation of the spine.

Furthermore, Neurosurgeons make use of the MRI scan not only in outlining brain anatomy but also in assessing the integrity of the spinal cord after trauma. The MRI scan also comes to play when medical personnel are considering issues related to the vertebrae or intervertebral discs of the spine.

An MRI scan can easily assess the structure of the heart and aorta, where detect aneurysms or tears can be detected. Despite the significant importance of the MRI scans, it is essential to note that they are not the first line of imaging test for these issues or in circumstances of trauma.

Risks and Side Effects Associated with MRI Scan

One of the questions people have asked about the MRI scan in recent times is how harmful is the process. The MRI scan is a painless radiology procedure that has the plus of evading x-ray radiation exposure. As far as this stands, there are no identified side effects of the MRI scan procedure. The advantages of the scanning process relate to its exact accuracy in sensing structural irregularities of core parts of the body.

That being stated, it is important to note that patients who have metallic materials within any part of their body should notify their medical practitioner before they perform the MRI scan. These metallic materials, including surgical clips, metallic chips, metallic bone plates, and other similar materials, can expressively distort the images gotten by the MRI scanner.

In addition, it is important for patients that have metallic implants or chips in or around their eyeballs to report this to their physicians as they cannot undergo the MRI scanning process. This is because there is a high risk that the magnet in the scanner may shift the metals in these delicate areas and could cause more harm than good.

Correspondingly, patients that wear artificial heart valves, metallic ear implants, chemotherapy or other similar metallic equipment should not be allowed to have the MRI scan for the same reason.