Spine surgery without an MRI

[rosem]

My son will be needing spine surgery in the next 3-5 months for congenital scoiliosis. We are in the process of finding the best surgeon possible. We have an added complication, he has Goldenhar Syndrome and with this syndrome, the nerves may not be where they are supposed to be. He can not get an MRI since he has a Cochlear Implant. Has anyone had any experience with this or know of anyone that had this type of surgery without an MRI?

[CurvySAT05]

Is your son able to have a CT scan instead of an MRI. I think that while an MRI shows more of what the surgeon wants to see, a CT scan might be better than nothing (and worth asking about) since he cant have the MRI due to his implants.
Good luck with his surgery. Hope all goes well.
Mandy

[Cheryl M]

My daughter's doctor did not do an MRI and she was fused from t4 to L3.

Cheryl M

[rosem]

Thank you for the reply. He can have a CT scan, I will ask about it.

[green m&m]

They might suggest a CT myelogram - it gives a better detail images the spinal cord/nerves. It used to be done a lot more often before MRIs came into the picture.

I know there's a way for CI wearers to get MRIs. They remove the magnet from the implant and use self-adhesive magnets instead, and that makes it safe upto 1.5 tesla magnets. I'm not 100% sure about exactly how it works though... or if this option applies to specific brand/type of CIs.

[LindaRacine]

I just found this info:

http://www.healthyhearing.com/library/ate_content.asp?question_id=123

--Linda

[rosem]

Thank you for that info on the MRI. I was not aware of this, it is most helpful. I will look into this