MRI and PPM

MRI

by doublehorn48 - 2019-01-15 23:14:05

I had an MRI in 2015.  My pm is not MRI compatible.  I was told every terrible thing that could happen.  And just before I went in the Doctor went over all of it again.  But it didn't matter.  I had to have the MRI.  So, as I told the Doctor, my wife wasn't in the room to scare so he could have saved the last speech.

My only problems were I'm claustrophobic and the noise from the MRI.  Ear plugs helped with the noise and the people running the MRI told me if at anytime I wanted to end the session I could.

I don't know anything to say about what you can do but try to relax.  It only takes about an hour.  If you don't have any tattoos don't get any before the MRI

Good luck,

M. Scott

MRI fine

by LondonAndy - 2019-01-15 23:25:32

I had an MRI in 2017, and it was fine . Nothing for you to do: here in London a technician came and put my Medtronic into safe mode before the scan, which I think is a sort of basic mode, no rate response etc, and then he returned it to normal mode afterwards .

MRI

by GlendaM - 2019-01-18 03:12:20

I have an MRI friendly Pacemaker as well, and had an MRI on my back last summer. I had a few MRIs before getting my PM, and the only difference I found is that now the process takes much longer...

About a week before my MRI, I had to go to the PM Clinic to confirm that my device was working properly, and to be tested on how I woudl react to the 'safe mode' that they use during the MRI. My PM works 99% of the time, at whatever speed I need it, whereas in the 'safe mode' it was set to beat at a steady 85 bpm. 

On the day of the MRI, I was at the hospital for several hours, even though the scan itself is only about 20 minutes. First they did a Chest XRay to confirm proper placement of my PM and leads; then the Clinic tech came to put my PM into 'safe mode'; then I had to wait for a cardiologist to come down to be on hand while they did the MRI; and then the tech came back to re-set my pacemaker to its normal settings so I could go home.  A few weeks later, I went back to the PM clinc to follow up and confirm that all was still good with my PM.

Its a time-consuming process, but otherwise no big deal.