Nearly all of us have abnormalities and findings. For example, as a generation of people who spend a lot of time sitting (using computers, cell phones, watching tv) we diagnose some degree of spine degeneration in almost everyone. Many of us have benign findings that are useful to be aware of when we are healthy so that they are not mistaken for something more serious later on. Importantly, less than 5% of customers receive "life-altering" news.

No. You can drink water, tea or black coffee. Just bear in mind that, depending on the scan you are taking, you will be in the MRI machine for up to 75 mins, so we recommend that you visit the restroom before going in.

Yes. You will need: ● To be the legal age of majority in the state, province or territory in which you reside ● To be a resident of the country your scan is being conducted in ● Have a bank account or Visa/Mastercard debit card (Your debit card must have the Visa or Mastercard logo) ● An SMS-capable phone number in the country that your scan is being conducted in and a valid email address ● The approval process and assessed rates are determined by Affirm

Unfortunately at this time, we are unable to scan people with pacemakers. There is a risk that the MRI magnetic fields will disrupt its operation, and we don't want that.

Yes, you can book an appointment for another person. However you will need to give us that person's details, and we will need to contact them in order to get their patient history and ensure that the scan is appropriate for them.

No detrimental effects have been shown to have occurred due to having an MRI when pregnant. There is, however, a risk of causing hearing problems in the fetus. MRI can also increase the amniotic fluid temperature. Therefore, we avoid performing an MRI when you are pregnant unless your referring doctor decides the benefit of the MRI outweighs the potential risks associated with having the scan.

It depends on the type of implant you have, so we would need to have more information about it. Even if it is safe to perform an MRI, the implant will likely affect the quality of imaging that we can do of the head.

Yes. Almost all IUDs are MRI-safe. Regardless, we check the MRI safety of all devices. Common MRI-safe IUDs are the Mirena and the Copper T.

It depends on the type of clip that has been implanted, so we would need to have more information about it. MRI can be performed safely in patients with non-ferromagnetic aneurysm clips.

Yes. This is completely safe.

If there is a chance that there are metal fragments in your body, particularly in the eyes, we will require a quick x-ray to ensure that it is safe for you to do a scan. The X-ray can be ordered if you contact us a week or two before your scan.

Sure, at any time! There are no penalties or fees for early repayments. To pay off your current balance, please login to the [Affirm Customer Portal](https://www.affirm.ca/user/signin?locale=en_CA) with the phone number you used to sign up with. If you have any additional questions about your account or payment schedule, [send us a message here. ](https://helpcenter.affirm.ca/ca/s/contact-us?language=en_US)

Yes. You must have a referral to have a Prenuvo scan. If you require, we can arrange a referral from an independent medical practitioner at no cost to you. It may seem like an unnecessary requirement, but it exists to look after you in the event there is a serious medical finding. A medical practitioner can assist you in understanding and contextualizing any finding.

Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

We do not add tax to the cost of your Prenuvo scan.

Yes. We take payment to guarantee your appointment time and date. Last-minute cancellations cannot always be filled.

To learn more about Affirm and credit checks, please read this [FAQ article](https://helpcenter.affirm.ca/ca/s/article/reporting-to-credit-bureaus-ca?language=en_US) on the Affirm help site.

We can provide you with some recommendations of specialists who we have previously worked with. Unfortunately, we cannot refer you to a specialist directly. However, we want to collaborate with any of the medical professionals you have and would be happy to work with your doctor to make sure that you are taken care of.

There are so many differences between a Prenuvo scan and other whole body MRI services that we generally don't make comparisons. - Sequences and filters used – To make sure that there is a low false-positive rate, it is essential to image your body with multiple filters (multiparametric imaging). Most other whole body providers do not use many filters in their screening protocol. In our protocol, this is the key to our low false-positive rate. - Quality and quantity of the images — We take up to 2000 high-quality images inside your body. The basic rule is that more images provide more details. We capture up to 10x more images than some other "Whole Body MRIs". - One-time scanning — We scan you from head to toe during one 50-75min scan. Other providers scan parts of the body, missing entire sections, and call it a whole body scan. - Price – Our services are less expensive than our competitors.

We do a very detailed examination of the brain in our Comprehensive Prenuvo scan. We use this in three ways. __First__, if you have advanced Alzheimer's it will be visible in the images of your brain. __Second__, using detailed MRI images of segments of the brain, we can start to see the loss of tissue in concerning areas of the temporal lobes which is indicative of Alzheimer's. __Third__, we use the images from your first scan as a baseline for your brain volume and then can compare this to your next reading taken when you come in for future scans. Any changes in brain volume will be apparent. If you are concerned about having Alzheimer's, we suggest you also undergo a clinical cognitive assessment.

Affirm will help you set up convenient, pre-authorized payments via your Canadian bank account, or a Visa/Mastercard credit/debit card. Available payment methods may vary depending on the payment plan selected.

Purchases made using Affirm are subject to Prenuvo’s standard return policy. Any returns will be processed by Prenuvo, and your Affirm balance will be reduced, cancelled, or refunded accordingly. If the Prenuvo has provided a refund to you via a gift card, you must still continue repaying your installment plan in full. For information on returns, review Prenuvo’s return policy here [LINK TO MERCHANT RETURN POLICY].

Affirm (formerly known as PayBright) is one of Canada’s leading installment payment providers. When you use Affirm to pay at Prenuvo’s checkout, you can split your purchase into easy, automatic monthly payments. To use Affirm as your preferred payment choice at checkout: 1. Add items to your shopping cart as usual, and select Affirm as your payment method at checkout for orders between $XX and $XX (including taxes and shipping). 2. Get set up: Use your mobile phone number and email to set up your Affirm plan within 60 seconds. Subject to credit approval. 3. Confirm your payment plan with Affirm. Prenuvo will process and ship your order as usual. 4. Make [CUSTOMIZE PAYMENT FREQUENCY, i.e. “12 or 24 monthly payments”] to Affirm while you enjoy your purchase.

Mammography remains the gold standard screening test for breast cancer. Mammography and the Prenuvo scan compliment each other. Mammography is capable of seeing small micro-calcifications in the breast that MRI does not see. Although breast calcifications are often noncancerous (benign), certain patterns of calcifications — such as tight clusters with irregular shapes and fine appearances may indicate breast cancer or precancerous changes to breast tissue. Our MRI scan, on the other hand, demonstrates positive results in visualizing breast cancer through dense breast tissue, which mammograms can be less effective at.

If you are flexible as to when you can come to the clinic, we can usually accommodate you within 1 to 2 weeks. You are able to see real-time availability by clicking "Book an appointment" in the top right corner of the page.

We aim to return every customer's medical report within 10-15 business days. Infrequently there are short delays, particularly around the holidays. If we think your report will be delayed we will let you know in advance.

There is no need to dress in a particular way for your scan day. You will be given a set of scrubs (top and bottom) to wear during your scan. You can leave on your underwear.

If you ate something, don't worry. This is not a health issue, it is perfectly safe to still have your scan. Depending on how much you ate, it just means that we will have a slightly more obscured view of your stomach and gallbladder.

Unfortunately, Affirm is not able to provide payment plans to every applicant. This could be due to the information on your credit file, or because Affirm was not able to verify your identity or your payment method.

We can't tell you if you have a blocked artery in the heart, a Cardiac CT Angiogram (CCTA) is much better at showing this. If you are concerned about your coronary arteries, then your doctor should request a “Calcium Score” (non contrast CT) or a “CCTA” (contrast CT). However, the Prenuvo scan can look for evidence of atherosclerotic disease, the cause of most heart attacks, in other parts of the body. The most common place we find this is the brain. If we find advanced small vessel ischemic changes in the brain then there is a high probability of having atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries of the heart.

In most cases, no. Of course, if it is an emergency we will get you out of there to go to the toilet. But the high accuracy of our Prenuvo scan relies on us imaging the same tissue in your body in a number of different ways, while in the same position. If you need to take a break, once you return you will be in another position. If you think this might be a problem you should limit how much you drink to ensure you can last the duration of the scan.

Not at this time. We are at the cutting edge of revolutionizing whole body screening. While many studies are showing the effectiveness of whole body MRI, no public facility is conducting these examinations. It might take years, unfortunately, for healthcare plans to cover preventative MRI scans. Many of our members have been able to get full or partial reimbursement throught their insurance/extendend insurance providers. We recommend you check with your provider to confirm coverage.

Yes. Your deposit is 100% refundable or transferable up to three business days before your appointment. The time and date before you must cancel your appointment while retaining your deposit, is included in the email confirmation we send you. After that time we regret that your deposit is no longer refundable or transferable.

Affirm does not charge annual fees. For more information on related fees, please see this helpful [FAQ article](https://helpcenter.affirm.ca/ca/s/article/no-fees-ca?language=en_US) on the Affirm help site.

Due to the radiation dose used, PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography) is rarely used to screen for cancer. PET-CT is expensive and subjects you to both gamma and X-ray radiation. The PET portion of PET-CT uses gamma radiation to detect the metabolic activity of a tumor. The CT portion obtains many X-ray images which are overlaid on the PET images to assist in determining the exact location of the tumor in the body. PET has limited use in the kidneys, ureters, and bladder because the radioactive injection is excreted through the urinary system and is highly concentrated in these areas during the scan. The Prenuvo scan does not have these issues and is more sensitive than PET-CT for tumors of the urinary system.

You will receive web and mobile app access to your images as well as a patient-friendly report. Your patient report will include information on the different systems, organs, and conditions we screen for including recommendations that will empower both you and your physician to make the best decisions regarding your health.

Please reach out to the Affirm team and they will be happy to look into the options available. You can contact them using this [contact form. ](https://helpcenter.affirm.ca/ca/s/contact-us?language=en_US)

You will be provided with a squeeze ball at the start of the scan. You can squeeze this at any time to alert the technologist performing your scan.

We are happy to do our best to accommodate you. Please give us a call at +1-833-773-6886 to discuss your needs.

No, you will not be charged. If you’ve already made a payment to Affirm and are owed a refund this may take up to 5-10 business days to appear on your bank account or credit card statement. If you have any questions about the refund process, please reach out to the Affirm team through this [contact form.](https://helpcenter.affirm.ca/ca/s/contact-us?language=en_US)

There are many organs which are better assessed with MRI over CT. For example, in the uterus, a CT scans may only report a "possible fibroid measuring 10 mm", whereas an MRI can show more certainty in saying "an 8 mm intramural fibroid". The MRI is more definitive on its composition and exact location. CT scans show densities such as coronary artery calcifications, and this is one of the main benefit from a CT over an MRI. The MRI shows more precise imaging for brain, brain arteries (which are not well imaged on a non-contrast CT), as well as every organ in the neck, breasts, abdomen, and pelvis. CT is generally better for assessing the esophagus, lung, and stomach. The major downside of a CT scan is that it uses ionizing radiation. For example, a CT scan can use 79.7mGy of radiation. This is the equivalent of 800 chest x-rays and 22 years of background radiation every time you go for a CT scan. With MRI, there is no ionizing radiation, making it a safe test.

Our patient’s privacy and confidentiality are very important to us. We comply with privacy regulations and legislation in the jurisdictions we operate.

MRI is a harmless, pain-free procedure. The scanner is air-conditioned, well-lit, and you will always be in contact with an MRI technologist through a two-way intercom. The MRI scanner produces thumping and humming noises as it is acquiring the images. We will offer you some headphones or earplugs to reduce the noise. You can also choose to listen to music to help pass the time. We can set a playlist for you, or we can plug in your music, it is up to you! All new locations are also fitted with a TV for you to enjoy during your scan! The technologist who operates the scanner will be observing you from the adjacent room throughout the scan. It is important to remain still when images are being acquired.

Please refer to the payment plan agreement for all of your payment schedule information.

Your belongings are stored in a locker or secure changeroom while you are in the MRI. Additionally, our changerooms are located in areas of our clinics that are accessible only to Prenuvo staff and members.

A Radiologist (physician specially trained in MRI and other radiology examinations, such as X-ray, CT and ultrasound). Radiologists at Prenuvo are certified and licensed in the state or province where the Prenuvo Scan was conducted and have been specially trained in reading the Prenuvo scan.

We don't image the heart in great detail because of the time it takes to do a good cardiac study. A good cardiac study takes around 40 minutes and this would not include images of the coronary arteries.

Usually, it takes approximately 15 days business days for a radiologist to read and report on your scans. This is because there are up to 2000 images that need to be checked for hundreds of conditions. It is a thorough but time-consuming job. If, on our initial review, we find something particularly concerning, we will expedite your reading.