New member and question about MRI

[VEMI]

Hello I am new member, and wish all best to all members of this community.
I read multiple times many posts for some issues and it were very useful and supportive. I will try to share my experience also on some topics and hope it becomes useful for someone else.

Had aortic valve replaced with mechanical 11 years ago - St Jude 25. I am on warfarin. I would like to ask do somebody has experience with MRI testing.
I am having some neurological issues lately - numbness, paresthesia, and all doctors ask for MRI testing in order for proper diagnosis.
I am aware that hospital must sign if my valve is MRI compatible and started this quest (but it takes time and connections to come to proper person)... But i am curious did anybody performed MRI with heart valve.
Abott manufacturer has sent me some specification with MRI conditions - 1.5 T, and similar.

Thank you and keep tinkling (great cheer by the way )

 

[pellicle]

Hi and welcome

Had aortic valve replaced with mechanical 11 years ago - St Jude 25. I am on warfarin.

warfarin ... not Sinthrome? In Serbia? Very interesting, I'll know someone who will want to know about that if its actually warfarin.

I would like to ask do somebody has experience with MRI testing.

I needed an MRI on my knee, the morons (yes morons) at the front desk created 3 months delays by insisting that I get a letter from my surgeon (to validate it was the effing valve I said I had) and the valve company to validate that pyrolytic carbon is not metal and is not ferro magnetic.

THEN on the day the front room chikkie said "oh no, you can't have a MRI with a mechanical valve because they're metal ... I rolled my eyes and asked her to consult the file properly ... a radiologist tech happened to be walking by so she asked her. The raiologist said "oh, modern mechanical valve, no problem" and kept walking.

Happily I was not in possession of any sort of tool or blunt instrument.

So bottom line is I got my MRI and had no problems with it (knee is now healed pretty good.

Best Wishes

 

[VEMI]

Hello pellicle ! Thanks for prompt and valuable answer.
Yes, i was prescribed warfarine (Farin local pharmaceutical brand) after surgery and kept using it. It is common practice here.
Luckily, i didn't have major problems with it nor significant INR exceeding.

Thank you for sharing your experience it is encouraging for me. I have been told few opinions that it is safe to perform MRI of head and neck, as our new valves are mostly carbon based. Acc. to specification of valve testing on 1.5T for 15 minutes is safe. However, radiologists asked me to have signage from hospital that it is compatible, in order for their peace of mind and so they not take responsibility. Thank you once again and glad that your knee issue has been resolved !

 

[pellicle]

welcome

Thank you for sharing your experience it is encouraging for me. I have been told few opinions that it is safe to perform MRI of head and neck, as our new valves are mostly carbon based. Acc. to specification of valve testing on 1.5T for 15 minutes is safe.

just to assist you a bit more this is my X-Ray showing (among other things) my ATS valve.

They "bake in" (literally) radio opaque materials for the convenience of X-Ray analysis, had they not it would literally be transparent.

A segment of the letter from ATS (consult your own valve maker for such, its usually on their website

...

 

[VEMI]

Thank you very much for this extract ! You helped me a lot! Wish you all the best.

 

[dick0236]

I am aware that hospital must sign if my valve is MRI compatible and started this quest (but it takes time and connections to come to proper person)... But i am curious did anybody performed MRI with heart valve.
Abott manufacturer has sent me some specification with MRI conditions - 1.5 T, and similar.

I had a similar issue with needing an MRI 10-15 years ago regarding the safety of an MRI with a mechanical valve. At that time I did not have a valve identification card and the hospital refused to perform the MRI. You should have an ID card from the maker of your valve (Abott ?) that provides contact info about MRI usage. FWIW, my card (which was finally sent to me about 45 years post op) has the following statement printed on it, "For MRI information contact www.edwardsmri.com". Edwards was the manufacturer of my valve....... Check your ID for contact info for the MRI info for your valve.

 

[kevanndo]

Hello I am new member, and wish all best to all members of this community.
I read multiple times many posts for some issues and it were very useful and supportive. I will try to share my experience also on some topics and hope it becomes useful for someone else.

Had aortic valve replaced with mechanical 11 years ago - St Jude 25. I am on warfarin. I would like to ask do somebody has experience with MRI testing.
I am having some neurological issues lately - numbness, paresthesia, and all doctors ask for MRI testing in order for proper diagnosis.
I am aware that hospital must sign if my valve is MRI compatible and started this quest (but it takes time and connections to come to proper person)... But i am curious did anybody performed MRI with heart valve.
Abott manufacturer has sent me some specification with MRI conditions - 1.5 T, and similar.

Thank you and keep tinkling (great cheer by the way )

See below for my response to a similar question asked in 2019. Hope this helps!

"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."

 

[VEMI]

Dear kevanndo thank you for the answer. Now i am a bit confused about these wires you are mentioning and are we all still with it or it was removed during procedure. I was reading about sternum wires and that they were used during chest bone opening. It seems they are the ones seen on pellicle recording.

I have managed to get paper from my hospital today and radiologists working there and they told me and wrote that it is safe and not to worry about. I hope they have knowledge, because these things are not allowed to make mistake. Tomorrow i will go to MRI. Thank you all, for valuable and supportive answers.

 

[pellicle]

Now i am a bit confused about these wires you are mentioning and are we all still with it or it was removed during procedure. I was reading about sternum wires and that they were used during chest bone opening. I

Surgical grade stainless steel is typically not ... I included the X-Ray showing them to make clear that they were there when I've had my MRI (although I didn't mention them explicitly.

From Google

Whether surgical stainless steel is magnetic depends on its chemical composition:

• Magnetic
  Surgical steel with a lot of ferrite or a lot of iron from heat treatment is likely to be magnetic.
• Non-magnetic
  Surgical steel with high levels of chromium and nickel (around 30%) is more likely to be non-magnetic.

Here are some examples of surgical stainless steels and whether they are magnetic:

• SAE 440 and SAE 420
  Also known as "Cutlery Stainless Steel", these steels are often used for surgical cutting instruments because they are hard and have good corrosion resistance. They may be slightly magnetic.
• 316L
  A biocompatible, low-allergy stainless steel that is non-magnetic. It has good formability, weldability, and ductility

I would expect that 316L is more likely for the wires

https://mriquestions.com/sternal-wiresimplants.html

Sternal Wires​

​

Closure of a midline sternotomy incision using wires is the standard method used for decades. As the wires are typically made of nonferromagnetic stainless steel, titanium, or alloys, they are MR Conditional but can be scanned immediately after placement at all field strengths up to 3T. This is true even if the wires are broken.​

I would ask your surgeon if you wish for greater clarification.

HTH

 

[dornole]

For what it’s worth, I needed a permanent pacemaker after mitral valve surgery. It is supposedly “MRI friendly” but I was warned some providers still might not want to do it. Some pacemakers definitely seem to be contraindicated for MRI. I think it’s the device itself. That’s the concern.

I also had a temporary pacemaker immediately post surgery, I am not sure if that’s a standard part of valve replacement? Or if wires stay in when people don’t need to progress to a permanent pacemaker like I did.

 

[pellicle]

Some pacemakers definitely seem to be contraindicated for MRI. I think it’s the device itself. That’s the concern.

Yes, that's the sad truth of it

 

[Lisa from LJ]

My valve replacement was in 1998 and I'm on the second card from the manufacturer because the front of the first one peeled off, along with all my information. The back of the card discusses MRI and specifically says 3.0 T or lower. I've had a breast MRI, head MRI, ankle MRI x2 with no issues.

 

[LondonAndy]

I have never been asked about my valve when having an MRI, and I have had several, though it is possible that because of our National Health Service, with records shared at least among local hospitals, they had checked my valve out without me knowing.

However, I also ended up with a pacemaker due to "surgical complication" when they did the valve, and experienced some difficulties getting an MRI in the first year or two. But that was almost 10 years ago, and there has been no problem more recently*. I would be surprised if there are any devices left still functioning that are not MRI compatible, and suspect it is more likely to be the leads not being certified as compatible that might cause difficulties getting an MRI. Leads can last over 30 years, pacemakers 10 years or less.

* My recent MRIs have been at a specialist heart hospital in London, so they have plenty of experience. Also, a pacemaker technician has to attend and makes some minor changes to the device whilst the procedure is being done, and then restores normal settings afterwards.