Aa
cardiac MRI
has anyone had a cardiac MRI? i have one scheduled in a couple of weeks and hear they are not fun. Can anyone offer any information??
did you ask of any alternatives for the MRI? maybe CT would be as effective since that seems like a lot to go through
what's your monitor for and what do you need an MRI for?
what's your monitor for and what do you need an MRI for?
thanks everyone for your input. I just got a call yesterday canceling the MRI for now because I have an implanted cardiac monitor, and it is not safe to do an MRI with it in place. I have to have the monitor taken out first, then have the MRI, and then possibly have the monitor put back in. I really wish we would have done this MRI before I had the monitor put in. It would have saved a lot of steps. Oh well! Hopefully the test will be worth all of this. I really am not looking forward to it though. I am very claustrophobic and cannot imagine being inside the tunnel for that long. Thanks again everyone!
Hi Jerry,
MRI offers the most detailed information about your cardiac tissue than any other test. It's far superior to echo or CAT. It has the added benefit of not exposing you to radiation that is present for a CAT scan.
more and more EPs are using it in treatment of a-fib because it might reveal targets. It can also be used post op to reveal the effects of ablations. It's also used to help map for an afib procedure called Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation (CPVI)
MRI offers the most detailed information about your cardiac tissue than any other test. It's far superior to echo or CAT. It has the added benefit of not exposing you to radiation that is present for a CAT scan.
more and more EPs are using it in treatment of a-fib because it might reveal targets. It can also be used post op to reveal the effects of ablations. It's also used to help map for an afib procedure called Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation (CPVI)
For me it was for ARVD (Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia) an inherited heart disease, but it's used to dx alot of heart conditions.
During the mri, your arms are by your side and they wrap you up so you don't move, if I had been prepared I may have tolerated the test a bit better. I was in the hospital already and the tech was late and ticked he had to come in to do another test - he was the only one who could do it, so he was really obnoxious.
He threw this rag over my face; completely and told me not to talk and I panicked. Of course that didn't help the test or my anxiety over not being told anything about this test and he just wanted to get out of there so he didn't care.
Jerry you can good cardiac mri and there's some great info on it and the machine etc.
During the mri, your arms are by your side and they wrap you up so you don't move, if I had been prepared I may have tolerated the test a bit better. I was in the hospital already and the tech was late and ticked he had to come in to do another test - he was the only one who could do it, so he was really obnoxious.
He threw this rag over my face; completely and told me not to talk and I panicked. Of course that didn't help the test or my anxiety over not being told anything about this test and he just wanted to get out of there so he didn't care.
Jerry you can good cardiac mri and there's some great info on it and the machine etc.
COMMUNITY LEADER
May I ask, what was the objective of the MRI and what did it show/prove?
I've never had one, but wonder if I should suggest just to see if I can stand it.
I find holding my left arm over my head (laying down) for 15 minutes for an echo is hard, and the same for the radiology scan for a nuclear stress test. Bet I'd have a lot of trouble with an MRI.
I've never had one, but wonder if I should suggest just to see if I can stand it.
I find holding my left arm over my head (laying down) for 15 minutes for an echo is hard, and the same for the radiology scan for a nuclear stress test. Bet I'd have a lot of trouble with an MRI.
I had one. Mine took 2hr 30 min, I had the entire series of tests done though, including 3d turbo mapping of my arteries to check for blockages.
I went early morning and didn't have any fluids before hand so I didn't have to go to the bathroom. But, since they were doing a dye contrast for me I had an IV and they dripped me with fluid the whole time. So, I ended reallyyyyy needing to go to the bathroom.
Somehow I made it through.
I have a history of isolated anxiety and panic attacks and was fine for the entire procedure. At the end I started to feel anxiety and my heart rate went up to about 110 and they could get good pictures. This was for the last set of 20 breath-hold pictures. I managed to calm myself back down to 60 bpm, how cool is that!
They will put on a respiratory monitor to time the scans, full EKG also used for scan timing, there's the cardiac antenna they will place on your chest. If you are having dye contrast they will insert an IV with drip. Then I also had ear protection on which played some music.
When the dye goes in I felt the pump. I had no feelings from the dye itself.
This is one of the movies they made for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ab4vqdB4Vo
I went through a lot of stuff but I'm grateful I did. it was well worth the effort. I didn't think it was all that bad.
I went early morning and didn't have any fluids before hand so I didn't have to go to the bathroom. But, since they were doing a dye contrast for me I had an IV and they dripped me with fluid the whole time. So, I ended reallyyyyy needing to go to the bathroom.
Somehow I made it through.
I have a history of isolated anxiety and panic attacks and was fine for the entire procedure. At the end I started to feel anxiety and my heart rate went up to about 110 and they could get good pictures. This was for the last set of 20 breath-hold pictures. I managed to calm myself back down to 60 bpm, how cool is that!
They will put on a respiratory monitor to time the scans, full EKG also used for scan timing, there's the cardiac antenna they will place on your chest. If you are having dye contrast they will insert an IV with drip. Then I also had ear protection on which played some music.
When the dye goes in I felt the pump. I had no feelings from the dye itself.
This is one of the movies they made for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ab4vqdB4Vo
I went through a lot of stuff but I'm grateful I did. it was well worth the effort. I didn't think it was all that bad.
I had one back in Aug 09 after I had my ablation to check for ARVD.
It's no fun, but tolerable I think if you don't have a phobia about small places, a rage being placed on your face; being strapped down; listening to a loud clicking noise the entire test or waiting over an hour in the same position for an hour, then made to hold your breath for 20 sec over and over and over and over...I had just had my ablation and was in pain and chest inflammation and the tech was an obnoxious rude man, which I complained to the nurse about and she said alot of patients say that.
I had to go to the bathroom and he was so irritated at me he made me feel terrible, and I finally had to say after about 1 hr 20 min I was going to embarass myself and wet the table and floor which he would have to clean up if he didn't hurry the test up..I got done about 3 min after that :P
Someone else may have a different experience, but for me it was pure misery and now I have a pacemaker/icd I can't ever have one again, which I'm glad for.
It's no fun, but tolerable I think if you don't have a phobia about small places, a rage being placed on your face; being strapped down; listening to a loud clicking noise the entire test or waiting over an hour in the same position for an hour, then made to hold your breath for 20 sec over and over and over and over...I had just had my ablation and was in pain and chest inflammation and the tech was an obnoxious rude man, which I complained to the nurse about and she said alot of patients say that.
I had to go to the bathroom and he was so irritated at me he made me feel terrible, and I finally had to say after about 1 hr 20 min I was going to embarass myself and wet the table and floor which he would have to clean up if he didn't hurry the test up..I got done about 3 min after that :P
Someone else may have a different experience, but for me it was pure misery and now I have a pacemaker/icd I can't ever have one again, which I'm glad for.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
