MRI complicated by sclera buckle attachment...

[anickstairs]

I have had 4 MRI's since my sclera buckle (in right eye) was placed in 1995 after a fully detached retina. In Rochester ( I came from NYC and had over 23 operations, there) I went for a "shoulder" MRI (left) and when asked about my eye they discovered some metal used in the install of that "BUCKLE" even though I have had 4 MRI's previously to this 5th one at a Rochester Hospital. They say I could go blind and that all the magnetic flux is everywhere in the room that the MRI unit is in. NOW I need to get that shoulder done, I may have a "frayed tendon" from abusing my arm in all the things I have done in the past. Is it possible to go blind as they say. I would need an answer to that because I need more of these. Also to include "This is the first time I was denied the MRI and I was never asked that question. Sorry to be lenthly but I am very troubled over this. Is there another equivelant procedure or catscan. I need to show that soft tissue tendon. Thank You so very much. This happened 12-10-10

[radgirl78]

I'm an MRI tech. There are many different types of scanners with different field strengths and different types of coils used.  The stregnth of the magnetic field also varies within the magnet itself. There are magnets with a vertical fields and horizontal fields. Today, there are magnets with strengths up to 10T(not likely to encounter these as they are experimental). MRI  is regularly advancing. This makes it difficult to say whether your implant is safe even though you've had MRI's before.   It's possible though unlikely that you may have just been lucky when undergoing your other MRI's. At the hospital that i work at, history of a prior MRI does not clear you for an MRI.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

IOLs have had no metal for many years and  scleral buckle "hardware" is made of silicone not metal.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

If a person with a large piece of magnetic material in their body it is possible to have that metel pulled to the outside causing a great deal of damage. in the eye or brain it could cause blindness or death. HOWEVER:  the fact that you have had 4 MRIs before with no problem indicates any metal is 1. very very small and not a problem 2. non magnetic 3. that your present team is mistakenly calling something metal that isn't.  Magnetic metal was not used very much for retinal hardware. I have never seen or used it. There were some very old metal IOLs used.

If you can contact the ophthalmology team that took care of you in New York and see if they can tell from your records that no metal was used that would solve the problem. Another option would be to have them refer you to a retinal ophthalmologist for an exam to determine if you really do have metal around your eye. They can do ultrasound and of course you need a "scout" X ray of the orbit.

I think it likely that you can work through this and get clearance for a MRI. I have had surgery for a frayed rotator cuff and it worked great.

JCH MD