Book an MRI in Pune
MRI scans at NABL-accredited imaging centres · reports read by senior radiologists.
All assessments
MRI Brain (Plain)
MRI · 1.5T · 30 min
MRI Whole Spine
MRI · 1.5T · 45 min
MRI Knee
MRI · 1.5T · 30 min
MRI Abdomen (MRCP)
MRI · 1.5T · 40 min
MRI Brain with Contrast
MRI · 1.5T · 45 min
MRI — what it shows, and who it is not for
Written for patients: what the scan can and cannot answer, the radiation involved, what to tell the team beforehand, and what the radiologist's report will say.
What MRI shows
Soft tissue, better than any other modality, and with no ionising radiation at all. MRI is the test of choice for the brain and spinal cord, intervertebral discs and nerve roots, ligaments, menisci and cartilage, muscle, the liver and biliary tree, and the pelvic organs. It is comparatively poor at showing cortical bone detail and lung tissue, and it is slower and noisier than CT, which is why CT remains the emergency workhorse.
A powerful magnet aligns the hydrogen nuclei in your body's water and fat. Radio-wave pulses tip them out of alignment, and as they relax back they emit faint signals that differ between tissue types; a computer turns those signals into images. Different sequences — T1, T2, FLAIR, diffusion — emphasise different tissue properties, which is why an MRI is a series of scans rather than one. You lie inside a tube, it is genuinely loud (a rhythmic knocking, hence the earplugs or headphones), and you must stay very still. You feel nothing from the magnet itself.
Safety and radiation
No ionising radiation is involved — an MRI adds nothing to your lifetime radiation exposure, which is a real advantage in young patients and in repeated follow-up. The risks are entirely different in kind: the magnet is ALWAYS on, even when no one is being scanned, and it exerts strong force on ferromagnetic objects. That is why the screening questionnaire is mandatory, why loose metal must be left outside the room, and why the safety questions are asked more than once. Radiofrequency energy can also warm tissue and, rarely, metallic tattoo pigment or a wire loop; report any heating sensation immediately and the sequence will be stopped.
Who should not have a MRI scan
- Cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator (ICD)
- Many older devices are not MRI-safe and the scan can damage them, alter their programming or heat the leads. Some newer devices are 'MR-conditional' and can be scanned only under a defined protocol with cardiology support. Bring your device identification card and tell the team when you book, not on the day.
- Cochlear implants and other implanted hearing devices
- Cochlear implants contain a magnet and are generally unsafe in an MRI scanner unless the specific model is documented as MR-conditional and the manufacturer's protocol is followed. Middle-ear prostheses and bone-anchored hearing aids also need to be identified and checked.
- Metallic foreign body in the eye
- If you have ever worked with metal grinding, welding or lathe work, or had a metal fragment injury to the eye, say so. A tiny retained ferromagnetic fragment can move in the magnetic field and damage the eye. A plain orbital X-ray is done first to exclude it — this is a genuine, not theoretical, safety issue.
- Aneurysm clips, vascular coils and older heart valve prostheses
- Modern clips and valves are usually MRI-compatible, but older ferromagnetic ones are not, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. The exact device, model and implant date must be confirmed from your records before the scan is booked.
- Neurostimulators, insulin pumps, infusion pumps and programmable shunts
- Deep brain, spinal cord and vagus nerve stimulators, implanted drug pumps and programmable hydrocephalus shunt valves all need manufacturer-specific handling — some must be switched off, some reprogrammed afterwards, some preclude the scan entirely. Insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors are removed before entering the room.
- Pregnancy
- MRI does not use radiation and is used in pregnancy when needed, but scanning in the first trimester is generally avoided unless the benefit is clear, and gadolinium contrast is avoided in pregnancy altogether. Tell the team so the decision is made deliberately.
- Severe kidney impairment, if contrast is planned
- Gadolinium-based contrast is cleared by the kidneys and has been linked with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in people with severe renal impairment. Kidney function is checked before any contrast-enhanced MRI, and a non-contrast protocol or an alternative agent is used where necessary.
- Severe claustrophobia, or inability to lie still
- The bore is a narrow tube and scans can run to 45 minutes. Say so in advance rather than discovering it inside the scanner: a wide-bore or open scanner, a prone or feet-first position, a mirror, music, a companion in the room, or mild sedation arranged with your doctor can all make the difference between a completed scan and an abandoned one.
- Loose metal, cosmetics and removable items
- Jewellery, watches, hairpins, hearing aids, dentures, piercings, underwired bras, transdermal medication patches (some contain a metallic foil backing and can burn), and metallic-particle makeup or eyelash extensions all come off before you enter the room. Even a hairclip becomes a projectile in a magnetic field.
When a MRI is ordered
- Brain and spinal cord disease, including stroke, tumours and demyelination
- Back or neck pain with nerve or cord symptoms
- Knee, shoulder and other joint injuries — ligaments, menisci, cartilage
- Liver, biliary and pancreatic duct assessment (MRCP)
- Pelvic and gynaecological imaging
- Soft-tissue masses and their characterisation
- Cancer staging where soft-tissue contrast matters
- Follow-up imaging in young patients, where repeated radiation is undesirable
Contrast and preparation
Some MRI studies use a gadolinium-based contrast agent injected into a vein to highlight tumours, inflammation, infection and blood vessels. It is chemically unrelated to iodinated CT contrast, so an iodine reaction does not preclude it. Kidney function is checked beforehand, it is avoided in pregnancy, and breastfeeding can generally continue as normal. Plain scans answer many questions without any injection at all.
What your report will cover
The radiologist reports each anatomical structure in the imaged region across the sequences performed, describing signal characteristics, size and position of any lesion, its enhancement pattern where contrast was given, and the effect on adjacent structures. Incidental findings are described with a suggested follow-up, and prior imaging is compared where it exists.
The path from booking to results
Book in the app
Choose your tests, pick a slot that works, and pay when it suits you.
We come to you
A phlebotomist visits home at your chosen time — or drop by a partner lab instead.
Processed at an NABL lab
Every sample is handled at one of our accredited labs, tracked end to end.
Report + doctor review
Your digital report lands with a complimentary read-through from a doctor.