Information for patients
If you are a patient reading this and have a concern about an MRI scan you are scheduled to attend, we strongly recommend you contact the site where your scan is due to take place, you may also wish to refer to our ‘Information for Patients’ section. Please note local variations to the policies detailed on this website may apply, therefore please contact the hospital where your appointment is scheduled for clarification.
Disclaimer (MUST READ)
The MRI safety information contained within this webpage is intended for use by staff from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) and associated health boards, namely: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Golden Jubilee, and NHS Lanarkshire. Only staff from these health boards are approved to use this information and local variations to the policies detailed may apply. Non-approved users i.e. patients and staff from health boards other than those listed above, or staff from private medical organisations use this information at their own risk. We, NHS GGC, accept no responsibility for patient injury or adverse outcomes that may occur as a consequence of the information contained herein. If you have any questions regarding this disclaimer, please contact the NHS GGC MRI physics team on: ggc.MRSafetyExpert@nhs.scot.
NHS GGC MRI policy statement for MRI scanning of patients with Breast Implants
Must read: What this policy does not cover / notable exceptions
n/a
Must read: What the policy covers
This policy covers 1.5T and 3T MRI scanning of patients with breast implants, with and without tissue expanders. Guidance will also be provided as to how to proceed in a patient with a breast implant with an electronic identification (ID) chip.
Must read: The MR safety policy
If a breast implant is known not to have tissue expanders, then 1.5T or 3T MRI may safely proceed. If the breast implant contains tissue expanders, then the make and model of the breast implant must be known. This can then be used to obtain the instructions for use for the implant which in turn can be used to determine whether this particular breast implant is MR safe or not. Regarding identification chips in breast implants. All identification chips used in breast implants to date are suitable for MRI. Therefore, uncertainty as to whether or not a patient has a chip in their breast implant should not restrict the patient from safely progressing with their MRI scan.
Risk assessment: A risk assessment underpinning this policy can be found here:
GenericRiskAssessmentForm_breast_implants
Additional background information and discussion
The overwhelming majority of breast implants are MR safe. However, there are some makes and models of breast implants, particularly those with tissue expanders which are unsafe for MRI scanning. Moreover, some breast localisation needles and wire sets are also unsafe.
Patients with breast implants without tissue expanders are considered MR Safe. During patient screening if the patient is unsure whether they have expanders or not, or the screening radiographer deems the patient to be a poor historian then they may wish to perform further radiographic screening or to obtain the patient notes to exclude the presence of tissue expanders.
If the patient has tissue expanders then the make and model should be confirmed, then the MRI safety information obtained and a decision to scan or not be made based on the safety status of the specific implant.
This is currently not an issue, as intra-operative MRI procedures are not being performed in Glasgow; however Radiographers should be aware that some breasts implant localization needles and wire sets are unsafe and therefore should not be allowed into the MRI room.
See the following links on MRI safety of …