Open MRI machine helps reduce patients’ claustrophobia and anxiety
By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos by AdventHealth Central Texas and Killeen Daily Herald archives
The fear of being trapped in a small, confined space is a completely natural response, but that’s unfortunately exactly what an MRI machine is. Magnetic resonance imaging machines are used to diagnose musculoskeletal, oncological, spinal and neurological conditions by combining magnets and radiowaves; however, they can trigger severe anxiety and claustrophobia for some patients.
Traditional closed MRI machines offer the best quality images, but they have a narrow cylinder (typically around 64 centimeters or 25 inches wide), which can be upsetting for some patients. Open MRI machines do not confine the patient to a cylinder, but the image quality is not as good. The best compromise when it comes to getting the most reliable images for anxious or claustrophobic patients is a wide-bore machine, such as the Canon Orian 1.5 Tesla, one of which is now located at AdventHealth Central Texas in Killeen.
Dietrich Urquhart, director of Radiology at AdventHealth Central Texas, said that many patients don’t even know they’re claustrophobic until they go into an MRI machine, but once they’re in, they can’t move, or the test will need to start all over again. MRI tests typically take 15 to 30 minutes, but that’s a long time when you’re talking about being trapped in a long tube that’s only 25 inches wide.
Urquhart recognized that this was a major issue for anxious patients, and he fought for change, which finally happened in the form of the Canon Orian 1.5 Tesla MRI machine. AdventHealth Central Texas has had the machine for a little more than a year now, and it’s already helped to reduce patients’ claustrophobia and anxiety surrounding MRI scans.
The Canon Orian 1.5 Tesla has a wider, 72-centimeter (28-inch) bore to accommodate claustrophobic and anxious patients while still offering high-quality imaging. Urquhart says this was one of the main advantages of the Canon Orian that he was really fighting for.
The Canon Orian also has a projector inside, which can distract patients and take their minds off being in the machine. They can request to view an aquarium, a galaxy, or nature scenes.
“The machine is designed to calm and keep patients still throughout the procedure because if they’re moving around, we have to repeat scans, which increases the time they’re in there,” Urquhart explained. “So, we’ve been able to benefit, and patients have been able to benefit.”
Urquhart said that he often feels helpless when it comes to patients who have claustrophobia, so his goal when acquiring the Canon Orian was to make sure that he could take care of his patients and that they could get the results they needed without the additional worry of the MRI test itself.
“If I had to put a number on the reduction of claustra-outs, I would say we’ve been able to reduce about 10 to 15% of the patients due to this technology, which I’m very happy about,” Urquhart added.
The experience patients have at Central Texas AdventHealth is unique because it’s the only clinic in the area that has a Canon Orian 1.5 Tesla.
“You’re dealing with the best when you’re out here is all I’ve got to say,” Urquhart concluded. “Not just from a technology standpoint, but also from a caring group of individuals that are here to serve.”
