What to Expect

Welcome to the Diagnostic Center for Disease, where upon arrival patients are greeted by a knowledgeable and friendly staff whose goal it is to put you at ease during the visit with us. 

Our front office staff will answer questions and take care of any paperwork needing attention.  Then our MRI tech will come to the waiting room to talk with the patient, answering any questions the patient might have before the exam, and going over all of the completed paperwork which should have previously been sent to the Diagnostic Center for Disease®.  After the paperwork is in order, the patient will be shown to the changing area and instructed to change into an exam gown and store all of his personal belongings in a secure locker.  After changing, the patient should remain in the waiting room until the MRI tech brings him back to the MRI exam room.  During the visit, wives or significant others may wait in comfort of the front waiting area.

The machine is a closed MRI scan with the patient’s head fully exposed.  For those who think they may be nervous in this setting, a prescription is available in advance upon request for this procedure. We suggest that any patient who has brought prescription sedatives with him should take the sedative about 1/2 hour before the start of his examination.  Patients who take sedatives should be accompanied by an adult assistant and should not drive.

When the patient is brought back to the exam room, he will be instructed to lie down on the MRI bed and turn on his side with his back to the Physician Assistant. The Physician or Physician Assistant will complete a brief digital exam to assess the area for safe probe insertion, apply the 2% lidocaine gel to the rectal sphincter for local pain control, and then insert the endorectal probe.  The patient will turn back onto his back which is the final position. During the scan we will make every attempt to keep you as comfortable as possible by providing your choice of music on satellite radio to block the noise of the scanner out, blankets, and staff always being available for questions or assistance.  During the examination, communication will be maintained through a head-set between the technologist and you, the patient.  In order to get the best images and data, the patient needs to remain motionless and relaxed during the entire examination, which lasts about 45-60 minutes, although your total appointment time will be around two hours.   Movement during the exam may cause a portion of the exam to be un-interpretable to the Radiologist.  If the patient has a question, concern or non-emergency problem during the exam, he should wait for a break between image acquisition sequences to address the technologist in the control room.  As soon as the examination is over, the patient will be removed from the magnet and the endorectal probe will be removed.  After this, the patient may return to the changing area, retrieve his personal belongings and then be escorted to the reception area for final instructions.

Following your visit you will receive your MRI-S results in the mail within 10-14 days, at which time you will schedule your personal conference call with Dr. Wheeler for discussion of your case.