[Spikey1341]

I was watching House last night, (love that show but wouldn't want him for a doctor, brings you to deaths door only to bring you back while brow beating you the whole way) and I got to thinking.......

Since our stomachs were stapled we probably cannot have an MRI correct?

Next question, would that be just of the mid section, or if needed could we have an MRI of other parts with no trouble?

I just have thoughts of my stomach bursting through like something in Alien. (the movie)

[SarJen01]

That's a really good question. I can't wait to hear an answer. I know I can still have CT scans because I need them every year and my oncologist told me to go for the WLS (with a big thumbs up).

[judijo]

That is a great question, and dog gone it, I should know the answer, considering I work radiology. We don't have MRI here, so I too am looking forward to an answer.

[dixieladybug]

I think on biggest loser last week they did an MRI on the guy that had gastric bypass surgery. They showed the picture and his pouch was still small. Tell me how in the world he gained all the wt... It might have been just a scan.. That is a good question. Doc oh Doc where are you... lol dixie

[kitty56]

I am curious too about the answer, I had no idea about that, wow always learn something new. I cannot wait to hear the answer too.

[kbfrmaz]

I am no Doc, but I think an MRI or CT scan would be no problem. They didn't put anything in our abdomen, just rerouted and stitched so there should be no reason they couldn't take a gander down there. We aren't actually "stapled" with metal so to speak.....but hey, I haven't earned my MD yet! LOL

[RaCina]

When I had an x ray they saw the staples (surgical staples status post gastric bypass it read), and having a wired sternum (breastbone) I have been told no MRIs they use high powered magnets for the imaging, I would suppose there would be some type of shield they could use to cover the metal areas for protection against the magnets.

I remember taking a patient for an MRI years ago, forgot I had a barrett in my hair I was touching her leg (to calm her) while she was having the test and my barrett kept flipping back and forth against the back of my head.

[DeMarie]

Yikes RaCina - right out of a sci fi movie!
I thought we had surgical steel staples in us also - so this is a really good question - do we or don't we....can we or can we not!! Doc?

[DocSanae]

Not that you really can't have CTs and MRIs, but just that the reading will be off as the metals deflect the radiation and magnetic resonance, so the image will be compromised and distorted. So long as the imaging doesn't involve the area where the staples are, you'll be fine.

Kara, the surgeons these days don't use sutures--as in surgical threads-- they use surgical staples the majority of the time, so yes, you have staples in you, that will show up in all X-rays.

[gone2Bthin]

Well, in response to all of the MRI questions, I myself have had gastric bypass surgery and lumbar fusion surgery. There is a lot of titanium and surgical stainless steel in my body but as I am now past the 8 week post-op time, there is enough scar tissue in the body to hold anything ferrous (containing iron) in place and therefore you would not have a problem. As to the barrette, the technologist should have had you remove it prior to entering the room as it is ferrous and could be attracted to the magnet. There is no such thing as shielding from the magnet as the whole area is influenced by the magnet and the closer you get to the magnet itself, the stronger the gauss (attraction that you would feel with any ferrous object.). Having these items in your body can cause what we call an artifact, yet as surgical stainless and titanium are only slightly ferrous, the distortion or image degridation is minimal. Therefore, abdominal imaging can be medically diagnostic.

I am answering these questions as I am a registered M.R.I. technologist who has been through the surgery and work with the magnet every day with NO problems.