West Jeff Using the ONLY Pacemaker Device Designed for MRI Use

West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) is proud to announce that its Special Procedures department is now offering the Revo MRI™ SureScan® pacing system. This system is the first and only pacemaker in the U.S. specifically designed for use in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) environment and approved as MR-Conditional. Prior to the Revo MRI SureScan pacing system, MRI procedures for patients with implanted pacemakers were not recommended because these patients might face serious complications, such as interference with pacemaker operation, damage to system components, lead or pacemaker dislodgement or change in pacing capture threshold.

Developed by Medtronic, the Revo MRI SureScan pacing system is the first pacing system of its kind in the U.S. The pacing system was designed to address safety concerns around MRI procedures for patients who have implanted pacemakers. MRI scanners also may cause traditional pacemakers to misinterpret MRI-generated electrical noise and withhold pacing therapy or deliver unnecessary pacing therapy. The Revo MRI pacing system, when programmed into SureScan mode prior to an MRI scan, is designed to be used safely in the MRI environment.

The number of patients with pacemakers is growing at the same time that the use of MRI is increasing. About 40 million MRI scans are performed annually in the United States and WJMC performs approximately [number] MRI scans each year. MRI’s are often preferred by physicians because they provide a level of detail and clarity not offered by other soft tissue imaging equipment. It has been estimated that there is a 50 to 75 percent probability that cardiac device patients will be prescribed an MRI over the lifetime of their devices. Furthermore, more than 200,000 patients annually in the U.S. have to forego an MRI scan because they have a pacemaker. The Revo MRI SureScan pacing system can help address this important unmet patient need.

“West Jeff is proud to provide safer access to MRI’s for our patients. The new Revo MRI pacemaker is a major technological breakthrough for patients who need access to MRI,” said Monica Bologna, the Senior Director of West Jeff’s Cardiology Service Line. “Providing pacemaker patients with access to MRI allows detection and treatment of serious medical conditions such as stroke, cancer, and a wide variety of important neurologic and orthopedic conditions. We encourage our patients to talk to their doctor about which pacing system is right for them.”