| MRI with an injection of IV Contrast | add $300 |
|---|
While many MRI exams do not require contrast, there are many indications where contrast would be beneficial. In these cases, an additional $300 will be charged, if the fee quotation you were provided with did not already include the cost of the dye. Please refer to our "Rates" page for more information on which exams automatically include the dye.
To fully assess some specific conditions, or to enable the radiologist to see the structures of the area being examined better, we may need to add a specialized type of image that is acquired after the intravenous injection of an MRI contrast agent (dye). We may require you to have a blood test before this procedure. The type of contrast agent we use has been validated to be one of the safest types available. This can add approximately 15 - 30 minutes to your MRI exam, but this may vary depending on the specific information your doctor requires.
We follow the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) guidelines and Health Canada recommendations in using the lowest possible dose and safest type of MRI contrast available. While the benefit from having the dye is much greater than any theoretical risk of having a reaction to it, we recommend that you drink plenty of water or juice for the remainder of the day to help flush it from your system. Those patients with known impaired kidney function should speak to us regarding this prior to being administered the contrast.
Should you have any questions regarding the MRI contrast agent we would be pleased to answer them.