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​.

Scleral buckling is a procedure used to repair retinal detachment. In most cases a silicone band is used with no metal. Occasionally a metal clip or tack might be used to secure the band.

Any clips used with scleral buckles are usually tantalum, which is not ferromagnetic. The band is usually left in place permanently.

What this policy does not cover, including notable exceptions

  • This policy only covers scleral buckling. This policy does not cover retinal tacks or other types of retinal repair.

What the policy covers

  • Scleral buckling procedure, scleral buckle.

MR safety policy statement

  • Patients who report having a scleral buckling procedure may be safely scanned using 1.5T or 3T MRI. Localised susceptibility artefacts may be seen if a tantalum clip was used to secure the band.

Link to risk assessment

Detailed review: A detailed review underpinning this policy can be found here: 

Detailed review for scleral buckle GISP

A short video of the scleral buckle review is shown here

Additional background information and discussion

The policy does not cover retinal tacks. If a patient reports having retinal tacks then further information is required (e.g. make and model). 

Acknowledgement

This policy was created by members of the MRI subgroup of the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering (MPCE) network for NHS Scotland in collaboration with the Scottish MR radiographer leads group.