Zoeey2011
Active member
Hi has anyone had a MRI. I have a mechanical valve and just wondering if the MRI affects the valve.
Need an MRI
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user 16827
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I have a st Jude in the Aortic position and I've had a few MRI since my surgery
No problems at all
Most modern prosthetic heart valves are considered safe in the MRI at up to 1.5 T, If your Scanner is one of the modern 3T it may be worth checking although i suspect that's fine too
I did encounter a nervous tech on one occasion but they double checked with someone more senior and
all was well.
there are no issues with the sternal wires ( is you still have them )
No problems at all
Most modern prosthetic heart valves are considered safe in the MRI at up to 1.5 T, If your Scanner is one of the modern 3T it may be worth checking although i suspect that's fine too
I did encounter a nervous tech on one occasion but they double checked with someone more senior and
all was well.
there are no issues with the sternal wires ( is you still have them )
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I've had a fair amount of MRIs, too. When you got your valve implanted, they should have given you a card, identifying the size, model number, and other stuff. Printed on the card are words to the effect that you CAN have an MRI. I've used that card a few times to placate nervous MRI techs.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
I had an MRI done on my knee, I had to tell them "no you are wrong, llease just ask your radiologist" quite forcefully.
The problem is not the radiologist its those officious twats at reception. After my insistence they called their own expert (another room) who said "yes sure, not a problem" like being asked what day it was.
Your valve may be here
Check with your surgeon.
The counter staff seem to have a disease where they want think that are as smart as the radiologist, but aren't... It's a variant of DKD
The problem is not the radiologist its those officious twats at reception. After my insistence they called their own expert (another room) who said "yes sure, not a problem" like being asked what day it was.
Your valve may be here
Notably, in this study, few heart valve prostheses displayed measurable degrees of deflection and/or torque (Table 1). Those that did are considered to have minor magnetic field interactions relative to the force exerted by the beating heart
Check with your surgeon.
The counter staff seem to have a disease where they want think that are as smart as the radiologist, but aren't... It's a variant of DKD
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nobog
Well-known member
That study was done 19 years ago so look carefully at the list as some of the names (of the valve) and places (manufacture) have changed, some are out of production.
My daughter has an On-X mitral valve and was told there was no problem with an MRI due to the valve. However, she has abandoned pacemaker wires/leads from that surgery (they originally thought she would need a pacemaker, but she achieved sinus rhythm on her own two days post-surgery), and was told that an MRI was a no-go due to those.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
Agreed ... it was all I could find quickly and without compiling a list of current manufacturers *. However I put in because it showed (even back then) many of the modern (then modern) valves were quite radio safe ... nearly 20 years ago. I expect its still the case with pyrolytic valves because it *IS* the case with my (now nearly 10 year old) ATS valve.
In the case of the twits at the MRI I went to I actually brought a letter from both the valve maker about the valve and my surgeon confirming that I had that valve ** ... so you can imagine when I got the "baulk" again (long story) I decided to give them a full broadside.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qh2vehsCV5P_DYqUJKtGufekMElcSXm6/view?usp=sharing
* (I used to do due dilligence here but it was rewarded with TLDR slap downs an little thanks so FTT)
**(I was unable to get a letter from mum)
Odd I have not had MRI yet, but if they tell me the abandoned wires will stop me from MRIs then I am getting those wires yanked out. The thought of annual CTs is a non-starter for me.
afraidofsurgery
Well-known member
I have an ATS valve, leaflets are solid pyrolytic carbon with a thin titanium band. So no strongly magnetic material, and MRI safe. I had 1 MRI of my knee and one heart MRI to look for an aortic aneurism (unfortunately found). I have to say laying on my back still and holding my breath intermittently for 45 min was a bit difficult. Even with the radiation exposure of a CT scan, I'll take it any day. I now have 6 mo CT scans.
I have had 2 MRIs since my valve was inserted. Valve not an issue but having a pacemaker makes it a bit more complicated but ok
Enigmalady777
Active member
That's what I've read and was told by my Cardiac Electrophysiologist as well. I have a Defibrillator/Pacemaker along with a mechanical mitral valve (St. Jude's) and while the ID card for the valve has information regarding the safe MRI limits/settings, the Boston Scientific ID card for my ICD instead says "see the Boston Scientific website" for questions regarding MRI device compatibility.
Hey, if you can hold your breath for the entire 45 minutes, it wouldn't matter whether or not they find an aortic aneurism (but I'm sorry that they found one).
Pacemakers are certified by the manufacturers as being MRI compatible or not. To be fully compatible you need to have the leads certified also. If they are fully certified you can get an MRI in most places without an issue. It turns out that essentially all pacemakers can be used with MRIs.
There was a large 1700 patient paper on non MRI compatible pacers undergoing MRIs without any issues. In the US there are several centers that will do non officially certified pacers. In Southern California you can go to Scripps or UCLA. Due to liability concerns most standard MRI centers do not do non certified pacers. There is a chance this will change. Also if your pacer is from a different manufacturer than the leads you may be out of luck even if both the pacer and leads or MRI compatible. Liability, Liability, Liability.
There was a large 1700 patient paper on non MRI compatible pacers undergoing MRIs without any issues. In the US there are several centers that will do non officially certified pacers. In Southern California you can go to Scripps or UCLA. Due to liability concerns most standard MRI centers do not do non certified pacers. There is a chance this will change. Also if your pacer is from a different manufacturer than the leads you may be out of luck even if both the pacer and leads or MRI compatible. Liability, Liability, Liability.
SumoRunner
Well-known member
Way, way, way back in the early 90s when I had my valve replaced, I worked at the GE Research Center in Schenectady, NY. I was a software engineer in the lab which developed the first MRI machines. The original technology was called NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) but the marketing folks knew the word "nuclear" would send people into spasms, so it was changed to Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Anyway, we had magnets that ran at 3 to 5 Tesla which is an extremely high magnetic field. If you walked into the lab when the machine was running and had any metal in your pocket, it would begin to heat up. You could feel it trying to pull a nickle or a paper clip out of your pocket. The test building was constructed of all wood, no nails or screws, wooden pegs all around, so that the field would not be affected by any nearby metals. The effect on prosthetic body parts was unknown, but the presence of steel, even non-magnetic stainless steel was a big question, so I was prohibited from seeing the machines in operation which I helped design. I have never, to this day, been anywhere near an MRI as far as I know.
But, that was almost 30 years ago, and I think they've refined the technology so that it is no longer a danger as it was in the beginning.
Anyway, we had magnets that ran at 3 to 5 Tesla which is an extremely high magnetic field. If you walked into the lab when the machine was running and had any metal in your pocket, it would begin to heat up. You could feel it trying to pull a nickle or a paper clip out of your pocket. The test building was constructed of all wood, no nails or screws, wooden pegs all around, so that the field would not be affected by any nearby metals. The effect on prosthetic body parts was unknown, but the presence of steel, even non-magnetic stainless steel was a big question, so I was prohibited from seeing the machines in operation which I helped design. I have never, to this day, been anywhere near an MRI as far as I know.
But, that was almost 30 years ago, and I think they've refined the technology so that it is no longer a danger as it was in the beginning.
pellicle
Professional Dingbat, Guru and Merkintologist
nice little vignette ... thanks
Warrick
Well-known member
Yep thats an awesome back story SumoRunner, very cool!!
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user 16827
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I had totally forgotten about the St jude card i was given
I have taken a look at it and it says my SJ is safe up to 3T
It's interesting to read as it also details the serial number
Along with the dosing book i was also given a AC card with the same details & AC range
to carry in my wallet. ( i had forgotten about this card too )
I contacted St. Jude two weeks ago, to get an updated card (mine was from 1991). I'm still waiting. I know that this has nothing to do with this forum, but I'm hoping to warn anyone who is waiting for a new card that it may take a while to get one.
Homeskillet
Well-known member
Like the poster above, I also still have my post-surgery pacer wires in. The surgeons told me that after being on Coumadin for about 11 days (that’s how long I stayed in hospital post-op.) that it would have been too risky to pull them.
I was told a resounding NO to any MRI’s due to these wires. This was repeated to me about 1 year post-op. when a pain specialist wanted me to have an MRI to examine pain area—again w. a firm NO from my cardio.
Very infuriating.
I was told a resounding NO to any MRI’s due to these wires. This was repeated to me about 1 year post-op. when a pain specialist wanted me to have an MRI to examine pain area—again w. a firm NO from my cardio.
Very infuriating.
Some specialists can be so focused on their specialties that they're pretty ignorant about the other stuff. I went to an ENT, told her I was on Warfarin, she misdiagnosed Thrush (she said I had it - testing showed that I didn't), put a scope in my nose (also a no no for anticoatgulated patients), then prescribed me medication that shouldn't be used by people on warfarin.
This is probably as careless as telling a person with pacer wires to get an MRI.
Sometimes they have to realize that patients are more than just their areas of specialization.
FWIW - when I was an undergrad at UCLA, I went to Student Health Service once in a while. After many visits, one of the students heard a murmur that was, no doubt, present at all the earlier exams. It took them a LONG time to hear it.
I learned that, depending on the specialty, the doctors came up with diagnoses that matched their areas of 'expertise.' Yes, it's a teaching hospital, so they run a lot of tests - even if they expect to see negative results. I'm just glad that I didn't go to an OB/GYN specialists - they may have thought that I was pregnamt (I'm male, if you didn't know this).
This is probably as careless as telling a person with pacer wires to get an MRI.
Sometimes they have to realize that patients are more than just their areas of specialization.
FWIW - when I was an undergrad at UCLA, I went to Student Health Service once in a while. After many visits, one of the students heard a murmur that was, no doubt, present at all the earlier exams. It took them a LONG time to hear it.
I learned that, depending on the specialty, the doctors came up with diagnoses that matched their areas of 'expertise.' Yes, it's a teaching hospital, so they run a lot of tests - even if they expect to see negative results. I'm just glad that I didn't go to an OB/GYN specialists - they may have thought that I was pregnamt (I'm male, if you didn't know this).
