Prior to Your Appointment

  • Do not drink or eat anything with caffeine for 24 hours before the MRI, as caffeine may affect the results. This includes coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
  • Do not eat for four hours before the MRI.

Arrival - One Hour Before the MRI

Meet with a radiology registered nurse who will:

  • Start two small IV’s.
  • Document current medications.
  • Discuss other necessary paperwork.

You will have an EKG to evaluate your current cardiac rhythm. It will be reviewed by a specially trained cardiologist or radiologist.

MRI Exam

Your MRI will occur in a spacious, open MRI scanner.

  • The test lasts approximately one hour and 15 minutes.
  • You will be lying down and will need to hold your breath for many short periods of time.
  • The scanner can be noisy, so we provide earplugs or headphones if you need them.

Stress Portion of the Exam

A drug called adenosine is injected through one of the IVs. Adenosine exists naturally in our bodies, but is given at a higher level for the test. It can cause symptoms such as tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, or a feeling of a “racing” heart while it is injected. These effects last less than a minute. Trained personnel monitor your vital signs during and after the injection. 

People with severe asthma should avoid adenosine, so let staff know if you are experiencing significant asthma symptoms. 

Contrast Imaging Portion of the Exam

After the stress portion, gadolinium is injected into the other IV. Gadolinium is a contrast agent that lets the cardiologist and radiologist get a better look at the heart muscle. There are no side effects associated with it – though it should be avoided in patients with severe kidney problems. 

Let the staff know if you have a history of kidney problems.

Our Cardiovascular Program continues to receive recognition as one of the top programs nationally. We are honored to provide high-quality, effective care for even the most high-risk patients.

  • In its 2024 Specialty Excellence Awards, Healthgrades recognized Froedtert Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, as well as other specialty achievements in various areas.

    For the second year in a row, Froedtert Hospital was identified as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ according to an independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard provided by PINC AI™, and reported by Fortune. The hospitals recognized in the top 50 operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $10,000 less in total costs per patient case. According to the study’s analysis, if all hospitals operated at the level of this year’s top performers, there could be 7,600 fewer deaths due to heart disease, 6,700 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients who suffer complications, and more than $1 billion in costs saved for the 2024 study year. Froedtert Hospital was ranked in the category of top teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. In this cohort of hospitals, Froedtert Hospital was ranked No. 4 in the country. No other hospital in Wisconsin was recognized with this national distinction.

    The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) has awarded Froedtert Hospital three out of three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program. The mission of the SVS VQI is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments. The VQI operates 14 vascular registries.

    The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award. In addition, the hospital was recognized on the AHA’s Target: Heart Failure(SM) Honor Roll and received the AHA’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. 

    The American Heart Association also recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Silver Plus and Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Silver awards. These awards demonstrate our commitment to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks.

    The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® AFib Gold Award.

    ​The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Froedtert Hospital have each received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Receiving this national three-year award with gold, silver and bronze designations, marks a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and achieving a healthy work environment.