MRI Safety Concerns with Metal Staples in Abdomen - Seeking Personal Experiences and Advice

Hi all.... It seems rare I start a topic, I just seem to read or answer the topics of others when I can get online here... but this time I have a concern, and I'm seeking your personal thoughts and experiences on a certain technique of testing...

I'm not running into answers outside this website so I am not sure how many replies, if any, I will receive on this particular topic... or... if you want to share but it's too personal, feel free to just INBOX me...

My question is this... there is controversy regarding the very strong magnetic forces using MRI testing if you have had intestinal surgeries like us... it's different if metals are securely in place within our bones and such... but holding intestines and organs together is another thing :/ Some doctors and technicians say "It should be safe"... or "I think it's OK"... but others say it is not a good idea because that machine is one heck of a powerful magnetic pull... it has been known to rip earrings out of ears and piercings and cause the occasional disruption of metals inside...

... that is why before a test run by an MRI, you are warned to remove all metal objects because this can be very dangerous... and any internal metal staples and clamps are to be reported to the technician before considering an MRI... and even the experts I have found bicker and contemplate the safety of our internal metal staples during MRI's...

I am in need of a full body MRI... am told it will take 2 hours trapped in that thing... due to my extreme chronic pain issues and occasional numbness and such that needs to be further investigated... and I have my concerns about it because I am littered with metal staples inside, having had 6 major surgeries for my Crohn's since I was a child... and if something 'goes wrong' with those staples, I have only 5 feet of intestine left to botch up lol... yikes.

Sooooo... I am wondering if anyone has ever had any problems with this... also I understand that many friends are unaware if they have metal staples or not.

Food for thought if nothing else. I would love some feedback and hear your thoughts... and again if you prefer, as some of you do, to Inbox me instead, that's cool. I would love to hear from you. I'm having trouble making my decision on this. Red flags in my mind tell me not to do it... yet on the other hand, if I find out it is safe, that test would really help pinpoint some of my problems.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and stay happy and healthy everyone! xoxo

~Your Doe

Hi Doe,

This research team concluded it's okay:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20664378

This blog mentions the risk of the MRI moving small metal particles (from industrial accidents) in the eye:

http://blog.remakehealth.com/blog_Healthcare_Consumers-0/bid/7170/MRI-and-Metal

Hiya Three ... thanks! ... I've been living under Murphy's Law lately and too many things going oddly the wrong way lol so I'm a bit slower in making these types of decisions these days.... one of my surgeons told me it sometimes depends on how recent the surgery has been, but my last surgery was 1 year ago now. Thanks for the information and I'm reading it through. I hope you are healthy and well!

~Doe

Not an easy decision, Doe, when so much is at stake. My uneducated guess is that, if there were any negative effects of MRI on patients with internal metals, we would absolutely know by now what they were. Can you imagine all the lawsuits that doctors and manufacturers would be exposed to with even the smallest indication of damage? When a doctor or technician says, "I think it's OK" or "It should be safe", I suspect they are really describing their own limited knowledge of the process rather than giving you an informed professional opinion.

Hats off to Three for doing good research!

Dear Doe, I have nothing to offer but you did bring up a subject that now has me thinking, I've had four surgeries, the full groin to thorax and just lately my doctor mentioned getting an MRI and I have no idea if I have staples inside or not, but, before I have this procedure I will know if I do have any, thanks to your question. Whatever you decide be assured we will be keeping you in our thoughts, love and best wishes, Ed

My boyfriend had to have an x-ray to check for metal particles in his eyes before he had an MRI. He was a machinist, millwright, and welder and considered a high risk for metal in his eyes. Something did show up in the x-ray, and they sent him to an eye surgeon. He could not find anything. It turned out to be a staple from a surgery he had in a salivary gland to remove a benign tumor. They went ahead with the MRI. It was of his lower back.

Hello wounded doe.

Thank you so much for this post and to three for the research. I knew nothing at found it all about this until now but it has been fascinating reading through the many questions people have had on the subject and the reassuring answers given by those that have studies the subject.  Decisions are always difficult to make when there is even a slight risk but I wish you well in whatever you decide to do.

Best wishes Bill

Thank you all so much, y'all are so awesome xoxo ....yeah not much scares me in life (except bad thunderstorms lol) ....but this is an odd thing that seems silly to me in one way, but on another note red flags still bother me a bit.....but the research was very helpful and I so much appreciate your responses, thank you!

I also was told by another surgeon my staples are likely titanium so that is OK......I was also asked if I might have any metal in my eyes and my reply was,

"I dunno....maybe??"

I told Doc I had metal bits fly into my eyes in the past several times from sword fighting..............the look on his face gave me the giggles, ...I think he thought I was teasing him. ...........but for those of you who know me, remember I used to do a lot of sword fighting and I was also a knife thrower, and heck yeah I have had bits chip off and nail me in the peepers from time to time.....sooooo......I HOPE there's nuttin' still in there! LOL

I'm beginning to wonder how much good it will do if I DO go ahead with the MRI.....sure they could possibly locate and define some of the problems going on, but the meds that help most people they cannot prescribe to me anyway because I have bad reactions to them.....so maybe in my case it would all be for nothing...... (believe it or not that's actually a positive thought on my part LOL) ......not sure if it will be worth all the trouble.

OR, if I agree to do this, I will be in that machine for 2 hours so they better have Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" not only playing through some speakers but also through an IV cocktail so I don't care about a dang thing lol

Hi there, my doctor wanted me to have an MRI scan to find out what was causing my back problems. I only knew I had metal clips inside me when I looked at my x-ray. Me and my mum were gobsmacked as I never knew they were there. Alas, I never got to have the scan as the back surgeon said due to the clips it can't be done. On a funnier note, I did set off a metal detector once and thought it was due to the clip, but it was my belt. It gave me, my mum, and the lady at the detector a good laugh. I hope your problems get sorted out soon, all the best.

Wow...! ....Well my friends, I just found out they believe I do have metal clips and staples inside me from previous surgeries and I was finally, officially warned not to do the MRI....I was told that I simply cannot consider it.....and I quote,

"Anyone with metal internal staples or clips cannot have an MRI due to the intense magnetic forces, the metal has actually been pulled out of patients' skin from their internal organs....and thus can kill you" ........

.....Ok.......

Wow.

Not gonna do it.

Hearing that made me want to faint, I swear............and I could not wait to get back on here to post this warning. It is unbelievable how many general doctors are unaware of this,...also proves how important it is to keep researching anything before it is done to your body.

I, also, lived for years before learning that I was full of staples......now I learn more about them and what else I need to be careful with......yowza.

Much love to you all xoxooo

~Your Doe

All I can tell you is that when I was scheduled for an MRI, I was asked if I did any metal work or even metal grinding, such as car body work. Answering positively, I was immediately scheduled for an X-ray of my eyes, since any metal in my eyes could have caused some damage. I assume that this would include rather small particles, since any significant-sized particle would irritate. I'm just surprised that it is difficult to get a solid answer to this question.
I wish you all the best.
Ed

Yo Doe, just a thought, regarding the tests done on the pig feet, I would think there would be quite a difference between pigs feet and our intestines, I find it strange this test wasn't also done on soft tissue, especially my tissues that which I have left and would like to keep, keep up the good fight Doe, Ed

Doe,

That is totally false. I have metal clips and tie-ups inside my body due to the perforated large intestine that I had in 1979 that resulted in my ileostomy. Each year commencing in 1999, I have an MRI. I have never had any deleterious effects and the MDs never stopped me from having it. I would question who told you this. Of course, any metallic jewelry worn at the surface of your body must be removed. That is obvious.

X_