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Ontario MRI Centre - Mount Sinai Hospital
Categories: Health and Medical Medical Clinics Health and Medical Hospitals Medical Clinics, Hospitals [Edit]
600 University AveSte 521
Toronto, ON M5G 1X5
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 598-9898
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
4 reviews for Ontario MRI Centre - Mount Sinai Hospital
4 reviews in English
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Review from Ron L.
Richmond Hill, ON
11/9/2011
I had a head MRI done at Princess margaret.
I came in thinking the machine would blast my hearing bc people were saying it sounds like a jackhammer BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL. It was very pleasant and not hard on the ears at all- sounded like listening to to a music recording or movie soundtrack. And my hearing is fine- I had it checked with a Ear specialist just a few weeks before.
I did not have to wait long at all to get an MRI- I called in and got a spot within a week at 12 AM in July. There was even a spot available the day I called but I was out of town. -
Review from Patrick M.
Toronto, ON
8/17/2011
A bit weird reviewing a medical facility and procedure, but hey, why not!
Kat covered things well, but it appears a couple things have changed since she had her ears jackhammered.
1) The "use the Murray entrance" late night time is now after 8pm. You sign in through security, then head up the "Murray Elevators" -- don't use the University Elevators, as the friendly orderlies on Floor 5 will turn you away.
2) That Mt. Sinai card apparently isn't necessary now, even though it says it is on the form you receive in the mail. I asked the tech and then the receptionist, and they both told me not to worry about it and head on home.
I should also mention that my wait was decidedly short from the time of first request (end of May) to the time of my MRI appointment (tonight, August 16th). I might have got in earlier had I not been camping up in Killarney a few weeks ago. C'est la vie. Considering mine is a non life threatening injury, I can't complain. An MRI and knee surgery would probably run me 20k+ in US... I'm happy to pay my taxes in Canada and roll with the occasional health care punch!
As an odd little anecdote, I met Eric Lindros's uncle while waiting. He was in for his hip. Nice guy. Kind of gleefully shared a number of conspiracy theories regarding the NHL, professional sports, and Eric himself. I figure it was the Valium. I also am inclined to believe most of them -- pro sports is a dirty industry.
I'm also somewhat reassured that a successful dentist and relative to a famous hockey player was stuck waiting over an hour for his MRI due to a scheduling snafu, and had quite a few amusing love/hate healthcare stories of his own. No favouritism there! Go Canada! -
Review from Kat F.
4/24/2009 2 photos
"Yay! I'm a fan of MRIs!"
But seriously - my doctor requested an MRI for me in June 2008 and last fall I finally got the letter in the mail telling me I had an appointment - I felt like a high school grad waiting for her university acceptance letter. I was THAT giddy. The appointment was for April 2009 at 4am. Such is the state of Canadian healthcare, ya know?
The Ontario MRI Centre at Mount Sinai is one of only two places (that I know of) where you can get an MRI in Toronto. The centre operates 24/7 and each MRI takes about 30-50 minutes, meaning they're doing 25-50 every single day. Mind-boggling.
If you're arriving after 10pm you have to use the Murray Street (side) entrance and sign in. When you arrive make sure you have both a valid Ontario health card as well as the Mount Sinai hospital card. If you don't have the latter, you'll have to go get one from admitting.
I signed in, filled out a questionnaire with the standard "are you pregnant? have you ever worked as a welder? do you have metal in your eyes?" questions and took a seat.
At 4am I was called and asked to change into a hospital gown. Here's a breakdown of the MRI prep:
- remove all clothing except undercrackers and socks, put on gowns
- remove ALL jewelry (I had to take out my piercings, which was a bitch to do, but had to be done), hairpins & clips, watches, etc. The entire room where you get the MRI has a magnetic field and you do NOT want to be wearing anything metal once you step into the room.
- put belongings in a locker and take the key, sit in secondary waiting area and wait to be called.
After I went through that first part, I waited about five minutes in the absolutely silent room and was then greeted by a smoking hot MRI technician (cute/young guys always work the night shift, it seems) who handed me earplugs and a squeeze pump told me to lie down on the bed (sure, I'll lie down on the bed...).
Then he told me it would take about 20-30 minutes to scan my head and that I had to remain perfectly still throughout. He also warned me that it would be really loud inside and that if I felt claustrophobic at any moment I could squeeze the pump he had given me. Then he fitted my head into this vice-like contraption - essentially he was putting padded blocks on either side of my head so that I wouldn't be able to turn it from side to side. It wasn't uncomfortable, just felt cozy and compact.
He slid me into the chamber (which admittedly is VERY tiny and claustrophobic) and things got started right away. I kept my eyes closed so that it would be easier to stay still, but there was a breeze and my hair kept tickling my face so it was hard. Once the MRI starts the noise is really, really loud and abrupt.
It's kind of like jackhammering directly in your ears, but the sound switches back and forth depending what they're doing. So sometimes it's a rhythmic clicking sound, sometimes it's drilling, other times it's beeps and glitchy noises. Very bizarre. Thank god for earplugs - they really muted the sound, which would no doubt be unbearable without them.
After about 30 minutes of lying perfectly still I came out of the chamber and was told by the technician that my doctor would have results within a week. And that was it! Done.Listed in: The Most Random Things I've…
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Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
5/30/2009
Luckily Kat has covered all the useful parts about getting an MRI here. Except, I feel more like I'm in a fax machine rather than getting a jackhammer in the ear. It is totally weird. I watch Grey's Anatomy a LOT, and they never have the fax machine sound! Stupid TV misrepresentation!
The only annoying part is that I had to wait much longer than I expected - 3 months, which is pretty long considering they run this thing 24/7. Plus they don't have a wait list, so the best you can do is call every day and politely hassle them. They did tell me that the best time to call is Monday morning at 8am for nabbing a cancellation spot.
