If you or a family member has a condition requiring magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for a closer look at the head, neck, or other part of the body, you may be wondering whether it could affect your or your loved one’s cochlear implants.
Can I Relieve an MRI if I Have a Cochlear Implant?
Though MRIs are noninvasive, the strength of their magnetic field in typical clinical applications generally ranges from the more common 1.5 tesla and 3.0 tesla to 7.0 tesla, making it critical to know whether your cochlear implant’s internal magnet would be impacted by imaging.
The good news is that selected cochlear implants from all three major manufacturers can accommodate the MRI procedure:
- Cochlear Nucleus Profile™ Plus, the latest implant offering, provides access to MRI at 1.5 T and 3.0 T with magnet in place. The Profile and CI24RE implants are approved for MRI conditional with magnet surgically removed. MRI access is available for the majority of Nucleus implant recipients, but the specific conditions and access differ based on implant type.
- Under certain conditions, both Advanced Bionics’s HiRes™ Ultra 3D Cochlear Implant and MED-EL’s SYNCHRONY cochlear implants accommodate 1.5T and 3.0T MRI scans without requiring surgical removal of the magnet, according to statements on the company’s respective websites.
- For more on the importance of MRI safety in relation to cochlear implants, watch the Why MRI Safety is So Important video from MED-EL.
We’re Here To Help
Still have questions about cochlear implants and MRI safety? Please don’t hesitate to contact our caring experts at Rocky Mountain Ear Center. We’re happy to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.