As stated in another thread I had a cochlear implant in May, 2018. Today I had my first MRI since the implant. When you have an implant you can't just waltz into having an MRI in any old MRI machine. Different machines have different strengths. Today's MRI was done by Qld Xray in a 1.5T machine at St. Vincent's Hospital in Toowoomba. With the 1.5T the implant inside magnet can be left inside the head and a bandaging protocol with a cap to cover the magnet inserted under the bandage. The radiographer looked somewhat nervous (her hands were shaking) though she sounded very professional. whilst she and another carried out the bandaging. The outside cochlear part is the processor and battery that sits behind the ear, the wire part that goes from there to the outside magnet that attaches to the head via the inside magnet. Anyway the wire part does come away from the outside magnet with a good pull which I had to do. I was nervous pulling it apart so that made two of us. Anyway the actual MRI went smoothly. The only pain/discomfort I felt was where the head piece that goes over your head pushed down on the cap but I could put up with that for the time needed, and again when that came off that pressure was relieved. When will I get the results? Don't know. I was to have this MRI when a patient in the Toowoomba Base Hospital on the 14th but the machine was out of action at that time, so had it today as an outpatient. Will the doctors get the information needed from this MRI - don't know. The radiographer said she got some good images and some not so good images but not being a doctor has no idea if the good images covers the area needed. The implant can distraught the images or cast shadows over the images. If these images aren't good enough, Qld Xray will organize an MRI in the 3.0T machine (more powerful) at St. Andrew's Hospital also here in Toowoomba. For that to be done a cochlear surgeon has to remove the in head magnet before the MRI and then replace it after it is finished. Keep your fingers crossed this doesn't need to be done. The MRI is to ascertain if I had a mini stroke back on the 13th Jan and to look into a basilar tip aneurysm they found by chance whilst having scans for the other. Lucky me. The mind is good but the body is letting me down in more ways than one. I put some of these things on here as others may go through similar situations and it may help them and it also helps me keep in focus just to write a few things down. Just a by the by, I have an Advanced Bionics cochlear implant. Mine was the first of this brand that the radiographer had worked with though she has worked with other brands. Thanks for reading.
Very interesting Gaylene, We have two little (deaf) granddaughters with Cochlear implants and it is something I had not known, (although I suppose it is something MRI Technicians are well aware of).
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I talked to the TBH doctors today and they said that the images weren't clear enough to ascertain if I had a mini stroke but they will not pursue any further MRIs. I was put on aspirin and cholesterol tablets whilst in hospital and that I should continue on those. These help to prevent blood clots, heart attacks, strokes etc. With regards to the aneurysm it will be up to the specialist at the PAH in Brisbane to decide what future action is taken in that respect. Tongue in cheek - now my husband and I have a common interest, we take tablets together everyday. He has been on Warfarin, cholesterol, and blood pressure tablets for many years after suffering deep vein thrombosis in both legs at different times and also a blood clot to the lungs. We look out for each other and that is how it should be. Cheers.
