MRIs and pacemakers not designed for MRI

Club members may be interested in this new paper from the New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med 2017; 376:755-764February 23, 2017)

The study looked at 1000 pacemakers and 500 ICDs.

 Device or lead failure did not occur in any patient with a non–MRI-conditional pacemaker or ICD who underwent clinically indicated nonthoracic MRI at 1.5 tesla, was appropriately screened, and had the device reprogrammed in accordance with the prespecified protocol.

This may help resolve some of the conflicting advice I personally received last month- I have been asigned to a CT angiogram. Perhaps I could have had a MRI after all?

Selwyn

3 Comments

MRIs and pacemakers

by LondonAndy - 2017-03-26 17:21:45

Thanks for sharing Selwyn. Even though I have an MRI proof pacemaker, I was refused a scan in December at a major London hospital (the Royal Free)!  This despite the fact that that they had a 4 page technical report about the device give to me at time of insertion 2 years before, and my Cardiologist (from a different hospital) telling me that he trained the staff at the Royal Free in the procedures for pacemaker receipients. So this report may well be helpful to me - thank you.

Some more about this research paper on MRI scans

by Paced2017 - 2017-03-28 21:49:52

A research paper was published last month in the New England of Medicine (N Engl J Med 2017;376:755-64) which investigated the safety of non-thoracic MRI scans (1.5 tesla) in people with non-MRI- conditional pacemakers or ICDs. A specific screening and device reprogramming protocol is decribed in the paper, and no patients in the study who followed this protocol had device or lead failures. There were 1000 pacemaker pateints and 500 ICD patients in the study, and generators and leads were from multiple manufacturers. Only adults were included so the results don't necessarily apply to children, and pacing dependent ICD patients were not included in the study. The study doesn't tell us about the safety of thoracic (chest) MRIs but I think this study does provide some reassurance for those with non-MRI- conditional pacemakers or ICDs.

New to club

by sayoink - 2017-06-05 16:17:23

Hi all,  I am new to the pacemaker world,  I got mine on 5/9/2017,  settling in  pretty good, but I get a little anxious at times, don't  like the feeling I got before I went out, so I keep thinking its going to happen,  I do get some feeling but maybe I worry for nothing, I like to be active or want to be, The doctors said to take it easy for at least 6 weeks, until it all heals.  It is really hard for me.  I only have a couple more weeks to take it easy.  I am glad I found this club, to have something in common with.    Have a good week everyone.

sayoink

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