What exactly does it mean "OPEN" MRI? Can you post a photo of the equipment? Where is the opening? For those of us who are claustrophobic a photo would be helpful. Thank you.

Our MRI is very similar to a cat scan machine. Think of it as a large donut. If you are over 5 foot two and having an MRI of your lumbar spine you can see out of the top. If you are looking for the traditional open MRIs we have one at our sister Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina called Piedmont Imaging. Feel free to stop by anytime to look at the machine. We know how tough claustrophobia can be. If there is anything we can do to help you we are happy to assist. Also, visit our website www.ncdiag.com. Thank you for considering us.

I feel for you, Linda. I've had a mix of MRIs and this is the only place I will go. By the way, the machine is like a giant donut with a very large opening. Do stop by... And you can have somebody go in the room with you. I did the first time I went, had someone sit there and touch my foot every so often. Sounds silly, but claustrophobia is no joke.

I am very very very claustrophobic, it definitely is no joke. I’m supposed to be scheduled for this open MRI which I hope is open, because I cannot handle being in the enclosed one. I had a nice open one in CA a few yrs back which was great. But the one in Silva or Clyde that they said was a big one, nope it’s not, I had to take 2 valiums and still didn’t do anything. I cried and panicked and had to be calmed down but the tech. I had no choice I had to do it so the whole time I had my head tilted (which made my neck hurt more) just to see the open window just enough and was constantly praying and singing. Trying to get thru it. I will not go thru that again. Since this one is going to take almost 2 hrs because it’s my neck, spine and lumbar it has to be an open one or I will have to be knocked out completely. I’m so claustrophobic I can’t sleep in complete darkness and have to have a window open even if it’s freezing outside.