FDA: MRI, Implanted Brain Devices May Not Mix

The FDA has issued a public health notification as a reminder that "serious injury or death can occur when patients with implanted neurological stimulators undergo MRI procedures." Doctors and radiology personnel should ask patients before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans if they have or used to have implanted neurological stimulators, says the FDA. The FDA says it has received several reports of serious injury, including coma and permanent neurological impairment, in patients with implanted neurological stimulators who underwent MRI procedures.

WebMD (http://my.webmd.com/content/article/105/107909.htm)