Is MRI possible with breast expanders?

[Valerie235]

My mother in law recently had a mastectomy (2.5 weeks ago).

At that time she had expanders placed for future implants.

At the time of surgery the sentinel node was negative.
Pre-op the PET scan was positve, the bone scan was negative. We were told the PET scan was a false positive.

Now the final path report shows that the 6 nodes that were removed are positive. The oncologist wants an MRI of the spine to assess mets to the spine.

Question: The expanders have a metal part in them so that the plastic surgeon can use a magnet to find the injection port for saline injections.

Can she have and MRI with these metal pieces?

Thanks

[Valerie235]

Thank You

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear Valerie235, Many implants are made to be MRI compatible, however, what you are going to need to do is find out from your mother's plastic surgeon, the type and make of the expander that was used.  The MRI facility where she will be getting the procedure done will need this information in order to check for sure that it will be OK, before they will do the MRI.