ORMC uses first and only pacemaker system for use during MRI
Posted on February 18, 2011 by Mark Johnson
ORMC uses first and only pacemaker system for use during MRI
New pacemaker gives patients access to critical diagnostic tool.
ORLANDO, Fla. (February 18, 2011) — Orlando Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in Florida to implant a new pacemaker designed for safe use during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans often used to diagnose and treat conditions. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Revo MRI™ SureScan® pacing system by Medtronic, is the first and only pacemaker in the U.S. specifically designed for use in an MRI environment and approved as MR-Conditional.
“The approval of this device is a major milestone in caring for patients’ heart conditions and other problems as well,” said David Bello, MD, an interventional electrophysiologist and ORMC’s medical director of diagnostic cardiology. “Previously, an entire segment of the population with pacemakers was unable to receive the medical imaging used to uncover and treat conditions outside of their heart problems.”
An estimated 5 million patients worldwide have a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Up to 75 percent of pacemaker patients will need an MRI at some point in their lifetime to diagnose another health condition. Medical imaging provided by MRIs can be used to diagnose cancer, aneurysms, liver abnormalities, arthritis, and many other conditions. MRI technology uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies to take pictures of organs, soft tissues and bone to help doctors diagnose medical conditions.
The Revo, like traditional pacemakers, uses electrical pulses to correct slow heart rhythms, but with a twist — it has an optional “SureScan” mode that can be switched “on” for use during MRI to eliminate interference.
Before now, patients with pacemakers were not allowed to have MRIs because of potential serious side effects. For example, the magnet can interrupt the pacing and prevent the output of pacemakers, causing improper heart rhythm. Also, tips of the wires used to connect the pacemaker to the heart could heat up during the scan and burn heart tissue.
The new MRI compatible pacemaker also holds far-reaching future implications.
“The new device is significant to patients who may one day need a pacemaker and later an MRI to diagnose and treat another condition,” said Dr. Bello. “As the population ages, the need for pacemakers increases. The use of MRIs as a diagnostic tool also continues to grow.”
ORMC was also a site in the international multicenter study that contributed to the evaluation of patients leading to FDA approval of the new MRI compatible pacemaker.
“Being a part of the trial was important in helping determine if patients with permanent pacemakers would be able to undergo routine MRI testing,” said Dr. Bello who was principal investigator for the study. “MRI scans are an important tool in helping doctors diagnose problems and develop treatment plans. We are honored to have been a part of helping widen the spectrum of diagnostic opportunities for patients today and in the future.”
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About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $1.7 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of hospitals and care centers in the Orlando region. The organization, which includes the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics, is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. They are: Orlando Regional Medical Center; Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children; Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies; Dr. P. Phillips Hospital; South Seminole Hospital; South Lake Hospital (50 percent partnership); St. Cloud Regional Medical Center (20 percent partnership) and MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando – the first affiliate of one of the nation’s premier cancer centers The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Orlando Health’s areas of clinical excellence are heart and vascular, cancer care, neurosciences, surgery, pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine, neonatology, and obstetrics and gynecology.
Orlando Health is Central Florida’s fifth largest employer with nearly 14,000 employees and more than 2,000 affiliated physicians, all of whom support our philosophy of providing high quality care and service when it matters most. We prove this everyday with over 100,000 inpatient admissions and more than 600,000 outpatient visits each year. In all, Orlando Health serves 1.6 million Central Florida residents and nearly 3,000 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides approximately $198 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at orlandohealth.com.
