I am having an MRI on just my leg, and the guy told me I could keep my piercings!
Question: I am having an MRI on just my leg, and the guy told me I could keep my piercings in!?
I am not having it done on a huge machine that you put your whole body in, it is a smaller one that I am only putting my leg from the knee down into!. The guy that books the appointments told me that it would be fine to keep my peircings in, but I have heard that if you did that with the big machine it would rip them out, so is it safe to keep them in with the little one like he said, or was he wrong!? The reason I ask is because while I can take most of the piercings out, two of them you have to break to get out, so if it is ok to leave them in, I would prefer that, but I don't want to risk getting them ripped out!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I also wouldn't trust a scheduler, as they do not do the actual MRI exams, but you should ask your MRI technologist when you go for your appointment!. Your technologist will screen you regardless, but you can ask specifically about your piercing jewelry!. Remember that your MRI technologist does this for a living, and he/she isn't going to allow anything to remain on your body which could harm you OR their machine!
I work on an open MRI unit!. I also allow patients to keep in their piercings, as long as the piercings aren't in the area of interest!. For example, for a brain MRI, I would need any facial or tongue piercings out, but they can stay in for a lower back scan!. The jewelry won't rip out of your body, but it can cause an artifact on the image, if the jewelry is in the area being scanned!. I also work in close proximity to our magnet (just like any magnet, they don't turn off, even when the machine is not scanning)!. I have a nipple, tongue and multiple ear piercings, and they have never caused me a problem!.
Body jewelry is non-ferrous!.!.!.!.meaning it is not attracted to a magnet!. Hold a refridgerator magnet up to your piercing!. Then you can see that the jewelry is not attracted by a magnet!.
"Appropriate body jewelry is non-magnetic, and as such does not need to be removed for MRI procedures* unless it is located in the region being examined!."
http://www!.safepiercing!.org/troubleshoot!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I work on an open MRI unit!. I also allow patients to keep in their piercings, as long as the piercings aren't in the area of interest!. For example, for a brain MRI, I would need any facial or tongue piercings out, but they can stay in for a lower back scan!. The jewelry won't rip out of your body, but it can cause an artifact on the image, if the jewelry is in the area being scanned!. I also work in close proximity to our magnet (just like any magnet, they don't turn off, even when the machine is not scanning)!. I have a nipple, tongue and multiple ear piercings, and they have never caused me a problem!.
Body jewelry is non-ferrous!.!.!.!.meaning it is not attracted to a magnet!. Hold a refridgerator magnet up to your piercing!. Then you can see that the jewelry is not attracted by a magnet!.
"Appropriate body jewelry is non-magnetic, and as such does not need to be removed for MRI procedures* unless it is located in the region being examined!."
http://www!.safepiercing!.org/troubleshoot!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
you should take them out!. I have never heard of it being ok to keep any piercings in when you have an MRI!. That thing is a huge magnet, and will rip them clear out of your body!. When you get there to have the MRI, the tech will tell you to take them all out!. The guy on the phone probably was the secretary or scheduler, and didn't know better!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I agree 100% with the RN who answered!. You're better off taking them out!. The magnets in those MRI machines are extremely strong! Better to have the peircings taken out before you there than having to try and cut those two off in the office or hospital where you're having the procedure done!.Www@Answer-Health@Com