A cardiac MRI uses a strong magnet and radio waves to take detailed pictures of your heart and blood vessels. Compare private clinics that offer a heart MRI and send an enquiry to the one you choose.
Search MRI providers near youThe British Heart Foundation describes a cardiac MRI as a scan of your heart and blood vessels, and says it is safe and painless. An MRI heart scan uses magnets and radio waves rather than X-rays, so Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust notes that it does not involve radiation. You may see it written as a cardiac MRI or a heart MRI scan.
FindScan is a directory, not a clinic. We list private imaging providers across the UK, show each clinic's own listed price as the clinic sets it, and pass your enquiry to the clinic you pick. This page explains what a cardiac MRI involves, the safety checks that come first, and what to ask before you choose a clinic. If you have heart symptoms, please read the section on when to get help before anything else.
A cardiac MRI produces detailed images of the heart and the blood vessels around it. The British Heart Foundation says it can be used to look at the structure of the heart and also at blood flow to the heart.
A scan produces images, not a diagnosis. The images are reviewed by an appropriately qualified clinician, and what they show is considered alongside your symptoms, your examination and any other tests you have had.
The British Heart Foundation lists several conditions a cardiac MRI can help to assess:
A cardiac MRI is not the only heart scan. The British Heart Foundation describes an echocardiogram as a scan that uses sound waves to build up a picture of the heart. Your doctor will advise which test answers the question in your case. See our private echocardiogram page for more on echo.
A private scan does not replace medical advice, and heart symptoms should be assessed by a doctor before any scan is considered. The NHS page on chest pain sets out when to get help:
Do not wait for a scan appointment if you have symptoms like these. Our guide on seeing a GP before a scan explains why starting with your GP helps.
MRI does not use ionising radiation, so the IR(ME)R regulations that govern X-ray and CT do not apply. Many clinics accept self-referral after their own safety screening, but each clinic sets its own policy. A stress scan involves medicines given during the scan, so ask each clinic how it handles referral and clinical review when you send your enquiry.
Because MRI uses a strong magnet, you will be asked detailed safety questions before the scan. The NHS says to tell staff if you have any metal parts in your body, such as surgical clips, a pacemaker, or dental fillings or bridges.
The British Heart Foundation says most people with a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator can have an MRI scan, but your doctor will need to check your device first. Guy's and St Thomas' asks patients to tell staff about pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and heart monitors, and to bring the registration card for any implant or device. Our guide to MRI safety and metal implants covers this in more detail.
Some cardiac MRI scans include an injection of contrast dye through a small tube in your arm. The British Heart Foundation says the dye makes the images of blood flow to your heart show up more clearly. MRI contrast agents contain gadolinium, as Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust explains in its patient leaflet.
Guy's and St Thomas' says about 1 in 200 people get common side effects from the dye, such as a headache or feeling sick, which usually go away without treatment. The NHS says to tell staff beforehand if you have kidney problems, and you may be asked to wait for up to 30 minutes after the scan. The British Heart Foundation advises drinking plenty of fluids afterwards to help the dye leave your body.
Some heart MRI scans include a stress test, sometimes called a stress perfusion scan. Guy's and St Thomas' explains that this tests the blood flow to your heart, using medicine to recreate the effects of exercise while you lie in the scanner. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust says the medicine used may be adenosine, regadenoson or dobutamine, and that temporary side effects can include tingling, flushing, headache, chest pain, nausea and heart rhythm changes.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals warns that caffeine may prevent the scan from going ahead, and hospitals give different instructions: United Lincolnshire Hospitals asks patients to avoid caffeine for 12 hours, Guy's and St Thomas' from midnight before the appointment, and University Hospital Southampton for 24 hours. Follow the instructions from the clinic doing your scan, and do not stop any medicine unless you have been told to.
The NHS describes an MRI scanner as a large machine with a short tunnel through it. Hull University Teaching Hospitals explains that the bed moves so that the part of your body being scanned rests in the middle of the scanner, and that the scanner is open at both ends all of the time. For a heart scan, that means your chest is in the middle of the scanner. Guy's and St Thomas' and University Hospital Southampton both say you go into the scanner head first, lying on your back.
If you are worried about feeling enclosed, the NHS advises talking to a healthcare professional at the hospital before your appointment. Our guide to claustrophobia and MRI looks at the options.
A radiographer carries out the scan. Guy's and St Thomas' says ECG stickers are placed on your chest so your heartbeat can be tracked while the images are taken, and University Hospital Southampton describes a light frame called a coil resting on your chest. The scanner is noisy, so the NHS says you will be given earplugs or headphones.
You will be asked to hold your breath repeatedly, for a few seconds at a time. Guy's and St Thomas' says for up to 15 seconds, and United Lincolnshire Hospitals says 5 to 15 seconds. Instructions come through headphones.
The British Heart Foundation says a cardiac MRI takes 15 to 90 minutes. Guy's and St Thomas' gives 45 to 90 minutes, and University Hospital Southampton says a stress scan takes about an hour, though you may be in the department for up to two hours.
Your images are reported by an appropriately qualified clinician. The clinic will tell you how long its report takes, who receives it and who will talk you through it. A report may recommend more tests or a follow-up appointment.
Asking the same questions of each clinic makes listed prices easier to compare:
Prices vary by clinic. The main factors are whether contrast is used, whether a stress scan is included, how any referral or clinical review is arranged, the region and what the price includes, such as the report. FindScan shows each clinic's own listed price, without mark-up.
Search for MRI clinics near you, compare what each one lists, and send an enquiry to the clinic you choose. FindScan passes your details to that clinic, which then contacts you about referral, safety screening, preparation and availability. FindScan does not carry out scans, give medical advice or take bookings or payments.
See MRI clinics near you or read more about private MRI scans.
The British Heart Foundation says a cardiac MRI can help assess congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease, damage after a heart attack and heart tumours, and can look at blood flow to help diagnose angina or coronary heart disease.
The bed moves so your chest is in the middle of the scanner, and you usually go in head first. The scanner is a short tunnel that is open at both ends. Tell the clinic in advance if you are worried about feeling enclosed.
The British Heart Foundation says 15 to 90 minutes. Guy's and St Thomas' gives 45 to 90 minutes. A stress scan can mean longer in the department.
Guy's and St Thomas' says about 1 in 200 people get common side effects from the dye, such as headache or feeling sick, which usually go away without treatment. Tell staff about kidney problems and allergies before the scan.
The British Heart Foundation says most people with a pacemaker or implantable defibrillator can have an MRI, but the device must be checked by your doctor first. Tell the clinic about any implant when you enquire.
FindScan is a directory and enquiry service, not a healthcare provider, and nothing here is medical advice. Speak to a GP or another clinician about your symptoms.