MRI 3 months after ADR

[SAPHIRE]

Hi everyone,
I had a cervical ADR on 24th october, when I awoke I couldnt move my leg.I've been waiting for an appointment for an MRI to see whats going on. On my appointment letter it says that MRIs can only be done 3 months after surgery. This worries me as my surgery is only just over the 3 months. Does anyone know the reason for this? I always assumed that MRIs weren't possible after ADR as they are metal.
I'm supposed to have the MRI tomorrow morning and I'm getting a bit freaked out that the disc will be magnetized and move!

Thanks for any advice!

[CharlesinCharge]

Saphire,

The MRI machine will not move your metal disc, the magnets are strong but not that strong! I have never heard of a restriction that you cannot have an MRI for the first 3 months after ADR surgery, but maybe your doctor employs that.

It is very true that ANY kind of metal in your body will blur an MRI image, because MRI's are based on using magnets. After I got my 2 level ADR done on my back, the level above the two that were replaced started to give me problems. My doctor decided to do an MRI on that level despite the metal right next to it, and they used contrast dye to try to improve the image. But, when he got the films he said "These are so blurry they are useless" and so it proved that doing MRI's around an area of your body with metal is probably not going to work. Often they will do a CT scan instead, as that is not affected by metal.

[berry]

Hi there Saphire

I'm sorry to hear you are still having problems. There's no need to worry about having the mri scan, I have had several since my lumbar disc replacements. The images are distorted around the artifical discs but the adjacent levels can be seen. Are you having a lumbar scan only or are they also looking at your cervical spine too?

Please let us know how you get on.

Best wishes

Lynda

[SAPHIRE]

Hi Lynda,

how are you?

Its just a lumbar MRI, but I dont like enclosed spaces so I'm not looking forward to it!



Thank you both for your replies, its reassuring to know the disc wont be magnetized !!

[kimmers]

Call them and see if they have music available.
My MRI in October was done with contrast and it was enclosed. Surprise different than the MRI the previous year.
Never had one with contrast before.
Music wasn't available because machine was broken but would have helped.
I find it helpful to close your eyes and just meditate. I find this is useful as I used to do this when I was running the 800 meters. I believe athletes call it going into the "zone". I just tune everything out and think about schedules or upcoming events or revisit some happy occassion, etc..

Kimmers

[trkdoc714]

Sapphire,

Kimmers is right, the music helps a great deal. My wife has a problem with enclosed spaces as well and it helped her through it.

I've had 4 MRIs. I slept through all of them. I've raised 5 children so the noise is minor compared to an argument over the toy in the cereal box. The worst part was when they woke me up for the contrast injection.

By the time you read this, the MRI will be over and done with. I hope you fared well.

Bob

[rhatzy]

Ask if they have an open MRI. It's not the little tube but a big round thing, like a huge hamburger bun with you in the middle with your head on the outside of the bun. It's very nice.

Mark

[SAPHIRE]

Thanks for your help!
It wasn't too bad as it was for the lumbar area, so when I looked back I could see out of the scanner! I was expecting it to be worse than the one i had done on my neck, but that was a mobile scanner and a bit primitive, whereas this one was an on-site scanner.
The worst part was when he asked for my weight !! LOL! (I put on lots of weight being on amitryptiline!)