MRI

Am having an MRI today! Had a TIA 2 weeks ago....now a mild stroke, feeling week down the right side of my body. The St Jude lady will put the pacemaker into safe mode then reprogram after MRI. Question. I have Bradycardia.... If the pacemaker is swithched into safe mode will it stop the pulse from dropping below 60?

4 Comments

MRI??

by Rog - 2013-10-02 09:10:46

I have always been told after a pm there is no mri, even if they shut it down. I know they shut mine down for the stint I got in Feb and for the ablation procedure. Don't really know about pulse but it seems in the safe mode it wouldn't work?

pacing

by Tracey_E - 2013-10-02 10:10:59

Rog, newer ones are often mri-safe, and there are more and more hospitals able to do an mri on an older pm that is not mri-safe.

Bas, safe mode means it paces at a steady 60bpm.

Good luck!

It's safe...

by golden_snitch - 2013-10-03 03:10:05

with older models, too, if you follow some guidelines. Johns Hopkins did a large study on this:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hopkins_study_finds_mri_tests_safe_for_people_with_implanted_cardiac_devices_when_certain_guidelines_are_followed

Best
Inga

Bas....MRI

by Bas - 2013-10-07 07:10:17

Well folks I had a successful MRI. The St Jude technician travelled from Melbourne to my home town some 300 km to be present at the MRI. He put i the PM into safe mode and made some other adjustments. He monitored the pacemaker/heart rate throughout the procedure. At the end he simply put it back into operational mode and all is well.
My pacemaker was installed in January this year and is MRI safe. I am able to say as I survived without any problems.
Cheers
Bas

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