Hospital certified for specialized MRIs

ROME, N.Y. » Rome Memorial Hospital’ s Magnetic Resonance Imaging team is now certified to perform MRIs on patients with magnetic resonance conditional Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators or ICDs.

Rome Memorial Hospital is the only facility in Rome or Oneida certified to perform MRIs on patients with these devices.

ICDs are medical devices implanted within a patient, designed to automatically detect and treat irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. When a problem is identified, the device can deliver electric pulses or shocks to help control the arrhythmia. ICDs are similar to pacemakers; however they can deliver a stronger electric pulse for more serious arrhythmias.

According to the American College of Cardiology, as of August 2016 more than 2million patients had pacemakers or ICDs, with 50 percent of them estimated to need anMRI. Magnetic resonance conditional ICDs are specialized devices which allow patients to un- dergo MRI procedures under certain predefined conditions.

“This procedure to scan a patientwith anMRI conditional ICD requires the coordination of a registered nurse as well as certified Medtronics (manufacturer ofmagnetic resonance conditional ICDs) personnel to be present during the entiretyof theMRI exam, 40minutes to 2 hours,” said Sharon Carson, director of Medical Imaging. “TheMR conditional ICDmust be disabled by the Medtronics technician prior to patient entering theMRI and reprogrammedonce

the patient is removed from the MRI room. The patient is continuously monitored while undergoing the MRI, and an Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certified registered nurse or physician must be immediately present in MRI for the du- ration of the exam.”

Carson explained that the procedure to scan a patient with an MRI conditional pacemaker is similar; however the pacemaker is not completely disabled. Instead it is set to a “sure scan” mode enabling it to continue to function during the MRI exam.

“Dr. John Restivo, chairman of theMedical Imaging department at RomeMemo- rial Hospital, and MRI Supervisor/MR Safety Officer Craig Pole are to be commended for identifying the need for this specialized imaging and for undertaking the necessary work to ensure that Rome Memorial Hospital is providing every appropriate service to our patients to alleviate the need for them to travel to other facilities,” Carson said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROME MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Rome Memorial Hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging team is now certified to perform MRIs on patients with MRI conditional Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillators and MRI conditional pacemakers. Pictured is Craig Pole, MRI supervisor and MR safety...