Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is a noninvasive, usually painless medical test that helps physicians visualize the up close structure of blood flow within blood vessels helping physicians diagnose and test vascular disease. MRA’s are used to access the narrowing of vessels (stenosis), obstructions such as clots, and other abnormalities such as aneurysms. MRA’s are a form of an MRI that uses a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed three dimensional pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and virtually all other internal body structures.
| Price Range | |
|---|---|
| Houston, TX MRA Cost Average | $1,000 - $2,550 |
| New York, NY MRA Cost Average | $1,050 - $2,775 |
| Miami, FL MRA Cost Average | $925 - $2,400 |
| Philadelphia, PA MRA Cost Average | $1,150 - $2,925 |
| Phoenix, AZ MRA Cost Average | $1,100 - $2,775 |
| Atlanta, GA MRA Cost Average | $1,050 - $2,625 |
| Washington, DC MRA Cost Average | $1,050 - $2,625 |
| Dallas, TX MRA Cost Average | $900 - $2,325 |
| Chicago, IL MRA Cost Average | $975 - $2,550 |
| Los Angeles, CA MRA Cost Average | $825 - $2,175 |
| Price Range | |
|---|---|
| MRA Brain Cost Average | $875 - $2,325 |
| MR Angiography Neck (MRA MRI Neck) Cost Average | $925 - $2,400 |
| Chest MRI (Angiography) Cost Average | $1,000 - $2,550 |
| MRA of Abdomen Cost Average | $1,200 - $3,200 |
| MRA of Pelvis Cost Average | $1,100 - $2,850 |
| MRI of Lower Extremity Cost Average | $1,750 - $4,500 |
| Name | Location | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Pender Diagnostic and Imaging Center | Rocky Point , NC | $625 - $2,175 |
| Medical Imaging Center | Hoffman Estates , IL | $130 - $280 |
| Rockingham Memorial Hospital | Harrisonburg , VA | $650 - $3,300 |
| Eastern New Mexico Medical Center | Roswell , NM | $1,450 - $4,600 |
| Phelps County Regional Medical Center | Rolla , MO | $1,250 - $2,625 |
| Moberly Radiology and Imaging | Moberly , MO | $575 - $1,950 |
| Bradford Regional Medical Center | Bradford , PA | $700 - $2,775 |
| Sanford Clinic Brookings | Brookings , SD | $600 - $2,025 |
| Saint Vincent Jennings Hospital | North Vernon , IN | $1,800 - $8,100 |
| Orthopaedic Associates of Jackson Hole | Jackson , WY | $575 - $1,950 |
| Coosa Valley Medical Center | Sylacauga , AL | $2,000 - $4,300 |
| Metro MRI Center | Moline , IL | $625 - $2,100 |
| Val Verde Regional Medical Center | Del Rio , TX | $1,100 - $4,300 |
| Los Alamos Medical Center | Los Alamos , NM | $1,800 - $3,900 |
| Franklin Foundation Hospital | Franklin , LA | $1,850 - $6,200 |
| Coastal Imaging | Victoria , TX | $625 - $2,100 |
| Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital | Hood River , OR | $1,800 - $7,200 |
| William Newton Memorial Hospital | Winfield , KS | $1,300 - $4,500 |
| Saint Mary's Hospital and Regional Medical Center | Grand Junction , CO | $1,050 - $3,900 |
| The King's Daughters Hospital | Greenville , MS | $1,800 - $6,000 |
| The Monroe Clinic | Monroe , WI | $1,000 - $4,500 |
| Self Regional Healthcare | Greenwood , SC | $2,100 - $5,500 |
| The Reading Hospital and Medical Center | West Reading , PA | $1,950 - $5,500 |
| Community Health Center of Branch County | Coldwater , MI | $1,050 - $3,700 |
| Taylor Regional Hospital | Campbellsville , KY | $1,450 - $4,800 |
| Saint Vincent Memorial Hospital | Taylorville , IL | $1,200 - $7,500 |
| Alamogordo Imaging Center | Alamogordo , NM | $625 - $2,100 |
| Bothwell Regional Health Center | Sedalia , MO | $2,325 - $5,800 |
| Sunbelt Radiology | Jellico , TN | $600 - $2,100 |
| Lincoln Trail Diagnostics | Elizabethtown , KY | $600 - $2,025 |
MRA Procedure Patient Preparation
Guidelines about eating and drinking before an MRA exam vary at different facilities. Unless you are told otherwise, you may follow your regular daily routine and take medications as usual. If you have claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) or anxiety, you may want to ask your physician for a prescription for a mild sedative. Notify your physician or MRA technician if you are pregnant. Notify your physician or MRA technician if you have a pacemaker, artificial limb, any metal pins or metal parts in your body (especially in your eyes), metal heart valves, metal clips in your brain, bullet fragments, metal implants in your ear, tattooed eyeliner, or any other implanted or prosthetic medical device. Notify your physician or MRA technician if you have recently had surgery on a blood vessel. You should tell the technologist if you have metal or electronic medical devices in your body or if you are pregnant.
MR Angiography Alternatives
Physicians will often try to diagnose vascular disease with blood pressure measurements, CT scans, or ultrasounds prior to using MRAs. Although contrast angiography is the most popular test amongst physicians to evaluate blood vessels before determining treatment, MRAs are gaining popularity amongst physicians and may soon become the preferred diagnostic test for vascular disease.
What to expect during and after a MRA procedure
Most MRA exams are painless. You will be positioned on the moveable examination table. Some patients, however, find it uncomfortable to remain still during MRA imaging. Straps and bolsters may be used to help you stay still and maintain the correct position during imaging. It is normal for the area of your body being imaged to feel slightly warm, but if it bothers you, notify the radiologist or technologist. It is important that you remain perfectly still while the images are being recorded. MRA exams generally include multiple runs (sequences), each typically a few seconds to a few minutes at a time. The entire examination is usually completed within one hour. If a contrast material will be used in the MRA exam, a nurse or technologist will insert an intravenous (IV) line into a vein in your hand or arm. It is normal to feel coolness and a flushing for a minute or two when the contrast material is injected. If you have not been sedated, no recovery period is necessary. You may resume your usual activities and normal diet immediately after the exam.
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