Vascular Surgery | Radiology (MRI) | Neurosurgery
Pain Management | Orthopedic & Spine Surgery
General Surgery | Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
CHOOSE WELL: A Quarterly Newsletter from Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital, Spring 2009
Greg Duran MA, RT (R) explains how our 3.0 Tesla MRI is different
When most people are told they need an MRI, they're not aware that different types of MRI machines may give different results. At Heartland, the MRI is a short bore 3.0 Tesla. But what does that mean?
Greg Duran, director of the radiology department, explains that Heartland's high-strength scanning system is faster and provides better scanning than many other systems. The important difference at Heartland is that the magnet is a 3.0 Tesla. The closed MRI systems in the Kansas City area vary from 1.0 to 3.0 Tesla. Heartland currently has the only 3.0 Tesla in the region, which makes scanning of the brain, spine, joints and extremities more precise.
"Tesla refers to the field strength of the magnet," Duran says. "As good as 1.5 Tesla MR images are, they just can't characterize some subtle abnormalities as well as 3.0 Tesla can."
Duran says there are several reasons the 3.0 Tesla gives better results. They include:
1. More detailed imaging. "The high field strength MRI even delineates structures such as blood vessels as small as 200 to 300 microns, drilling down to the ultra-structural level," Duran says. The 3.0 Tesla has also captured finer details such as small lesions and evaluated peripheral vascular disease.
2. More accurate imaging of spine, bones, and joints. For spinal and orthopedic injuries, the 3.0 Tesla offers greater detail of joints, muscles, spine, brain, and discs. 3.0 Tesla scanning in the brain can be completed in the same exam time at a much higher resolution.
3. Reduced scan time and greater patient comfort. A strong magnet means you may spend less time in the MRI tunnel. A scan that once took 30 minutes may now be done in 15-20 minutes.
4. Greater accuracy of diagnosis. Even if you spend the same amount of time in the scanner, your doctor will get a higher resolution image, allowing a more accurate diagnosis.
5. Higher resolution images. The 3.0 Tesla can see structures like blood vessels that older MRIs did not show, and can capture higher resolution images.
Greg Duran MA, RT (R)
Head of Radiology, Heartland Spine & Specialty Hospital