City gets its first standing MRI scanner

MRI scans can now be obtained in standing and sitting positions,bringing in what doctors say is a much needed alternative to the prevalent tunnel MRI scan method.

MRI scans can now be obtained in standing and sitting positions,bringing in what doctors say is a much needed alternative to the prevalent tunnel MRI scan method. The first open MRI scanner in North India was formally launched on Friday at the Mahajan Imaging Centre in Hauz Khas,run by radiologist Dr Harsh Mahajan.

The system is equipped with a tilting table that allows scanning to be performed in different body positions. Dr Rajesh Malhotra,professor of Orthopaedics at AIIMS,said,The advantage of an open MRI machine is huge. Almost 5 per cent of my patients who need an MRI scan refuse claustrophobia is a big deterrent for them.

The machine,dedicated for spinal and musculo-skeletal areas,for the first time also allows scanning of erect weight-bearing areas. There are spinal disorders which may not be detected at all while lying down,but are extremely obvious in standing positions. This technology enables us to see these differences practically for the first time,and plan treatment accordingly, said Dr S S Kale,Professor of Neurosurgery at AIIMS.

Of the patients who have already undergone scans from the new machine,Dr Mahajan said expected treatment protocol had already been altered in many cases. In one case,the patients problem seemed severe in the routine MRI,but after putting him through a scan in the erect position,we realised he did not need surgery for a slip disc,said Dr Mahajan. The scanner,doctors said,will also be useful in monitoring the progress of post-surgical recovery. Not only can we use it as a diagnostic tool,it can also help doctors understand the patients recovery process after the procedure, said Dr Mahajan.

The machine,which was procured at a cost of around Rs 3.5 crore,is an addition to the routine MRI machines. In cases where the treatment protocol is very obvious,conventional MRI scans are enough. The new machine provides us the option of functional imaging,where we can identify structural aberrations that are causing problems in the functioning of joints, said Dr Malhotra. Scans in the upright and lying positions on the machine together come at a cost of Rs 9,000. The machine also provides routine MRIs at the standard rate of Rs 6,000. The time taken for scanning is an estimated 35-40 minutes,compared to a routine MRI scan that takes 10-15 minutes.

Dr Bhartinder Singh,who was in charge of the medical facilities during the Commonwealth Games,said the new technology can be extremely beneficial for those with sports injuries. We initially planned to have the scanner operations before the Games,but it got delayed due to various reasons, added Dr Mahajan.

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City gets its first standing MRI scanner

MRI scans can now be obtained in standing and sitting positions,bringing in what doctors say is a much needed alternative to the prevalent tunnel MRI scan method.

MRI scans can now be obtained in standing and sitting positions,bringing in what doctors say is a much needed alternative to the prevalent tunnel MRI scan method.