You’ve booked your check-up and you’re wondering what to expect. Here’s how it goes: what to do beforehand, what happens on the day, how long it takes and when your results arrive.
Before your appointment: what to prepare
Preparation is short. Almost all of it concerns the blood panel that comes with your check-up.
- 24 hours before: no alcohol.
- 12 hours before: stay fasted, and drink plenty of water.
- Time of day: a morning appointment is recommended for the blood panel.
Tell the team beforehand if you have an implant or a pacemaker, if you’re pregnant, take regular medication or have allergies, or if enclosed spaces are hard for you.
Important
No metal is allowed near the magnet. Take off jewellery and piercings before the scan.
At the appointment: what happens on site
Allow about 90 minutes. Most of that you’ll spend in the scanner.
The scanner is a tube. You lie on a table that moves through the magnet and keep as still as you can, because movement blurs the images. It’s loud, with knocking and humming from the magnet coils switching on and off. You get ear protection and can listen to music. For some images, the team asks you to hold your breath for a moment. And you can talk to the team throughout the scan.
The scan produces images from head to mid-thigh: brain, internal organs, spine and major blood vessels. It uses a magnetic field and radio waves, not X-rays. There’s no radiation and no contrast agent, so nothing is injected.
During the same appointment, blood is taken, which takes about 15 minutes, and your blood pressure is measured. The Holistic Health blood panel gives you values for heart, blood sugar, liver, kidneys, thyroid and nutrients.
Your path through the check-up
From preparation to the doctor consultation.
All in one appointment: MRI, blood draw and blood pressure.
After the appointment: results and doctor consultation
In most cases you can go straight back to your day.
Radiologists review the images. Your results are in the portal within five working days. After that, the doctor consultation takes place by video call: your results are explained, and you discuss whether any further checks make sense.
The check-up on its own isn’t a diagnosis. Your report can include findings, including harmless ones. What to expect from them is explained in What a full-body MRI can tell you, and what it can’t.
The short version
Conclusion
Your first appointment is manageable: short preparation, about 90 minutes on site, results in the portal and a conversation about them.
Whether a scan is right for you is your decision, ideally made in conversation with a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is the scan uncomfortable?
The scan itself is painless. You have to lie still for a while, and it’s loud, which is why you get ear protection. You can talk to the team at any point during the scan.
What if I find enclosed spaces hard?
Tell the team before your appointment. What can help with claustrophobia is covered in our article on fear of MRI.
Can I go straight back to work afterwards?
In most cases you can go straight back to your day. A morning appointment is recommended for the blood panel.
What applies if I have an implant, a pacemaker or I’m pregnant?
Tell the team before your appointment. A magnetic field and metal don’t mix, so this is clarified beforehand.
What happens if my report mentions something?
Your results are explained in the doctor consultation, and you discuss whether any further checks make sense. The check-up on its own isn’t a diagnosis.
