Breakthrough innovation: Patients with pacemakers can now go for MRI Scan

People who are forced to live with a pacemaker to maintain the rhythm of their heartbeats and are unable to go for an MRI or whole body check, have some good news around.

Now they can go for an MRI or whole body scan with the help of Advisa DR MRI™ Sure Scan™ pacing system, a breakthrough innovation by US-based medical device company, Medtronic, has recently made MRI scanning possible for patients with pacemakers implanted.

Worldwide, 1 million patients who get a pacemaker implanted every year are strictly prohibited from MRI scan exposure as it can lead to serious complications for the patients.

First such implant in State of Haryana was done last week by Dr. Balbir Singh from Medanta Medicity. Dr. Balbir Singh implanted the new pacemaker in 73-year-old patient with Bradycardia. Bradycardia is a disease condition where heart beat is less than 60 beats per minute and can lead to heart failure.

Advisa MRI is Medtronic’s second-generation pacing system in a portfolio of pacing systems designed, tested, and approved for use as labeled with MRI machines. Patients with Advisa MRI will now have access to full body scans, without positioning limitations in the MRI scanner. MRI is the standard of care in soft tissue imaging, providing information not seen with X-ray, ultrasound, or CT scan, and critical for early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

Important Facts

· 1 million people worldwide get pacemaker implanted every year

· 50-75% of these patients need an MRI scan during lifetime of the device

· Need for MRI scan just doubles in patients above 60 years

· MRI is extremely important and sometimes the only diagnostic tool for many common diseases

· Used to see internal organs, blood vessels, muscles, joints, tumors, areas of infection and more, without X-rays or surgery, and without exposing the patient to any ionizing radiation.

· Gives information that cannot be seen on an X-ray, ultrasound or CT Scan

· MRI can obstruct pacemaker’s function, and is therefore contraindicated in routine pacemaker.