Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Safety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
OBJECTIVE
Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conditional cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have become recently available, non-MRI conditional devices and the presence of epicardial and abandoned leads remain a contraindication for MRIs.


METHODS
This was a single center retrospective study, evaluating the clinical outcomes and device parameter changes in patients with CIEDs who underwent an MRI from June 1992 to March 2015. Clinical and device related information was acquired by a thorough chart review.


RESULTS
A total of 40 patients, 38 with a pacemaker (including epicardially located pacemaker leads) and 2 with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, underwent 50 MRI examinations. Among the patients, 11 had MRI conditional CIEDs, while the remaining had non-MRI conditional devices. Among these patients, 23 patients had traditional contraindications for an MRI: (1) nonfunctional leads (n=1, 2.5%), (2) epicardially located leads (n=9, 22.5%), (3) scanning area in proximity to a device (n=9, 22.5%), (4) devices implanted within 6 weeks (n=2, 5%), and (5) MRI field strength at 3.0 Tesla (n=6, 15%). All patients underwent a satisfactory MRI examination with no adverse events during or after the procedure. There were no significant changes in parameters or malfunctioning devices in any patients with CIEDs.


CONCLUSIONS
Under careful monitoring, MRI is safe to perform on patients with non-MRI conditional CIEDs, remnant leads, and epicardially located leads, as well as MRI-conditional devices.
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
You Mi
YM
Hwang
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jun
J
Kim
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Ji Hyun
JH
Lee
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Minsu
M
Kim
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Gi-Byoung
GB
Nam
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kee-Joon
KJ
Choi
Department of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
You-Ho
YH
Kim
Defibrillators, implantable; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pacemaker, artificial