MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. These devices use magnetic fields and radio waves to build pictures of the inside of the body rather than x-rays. An x-ray is, by nature two dimensional. An MRI is three dimensional, making it easier to find problems within the body.
A stent is a mesh tube placed in the body to hold a passage open. The most commonly thought of use for stents is to keep coronary arteries open. Most stents are made of metal, though a few are made of fabric.
With these two definitions, you can see why the question about MRIs would come up. Some metals respond to magnets and might move. If it does that in your coronary arteries, you might end up dead.
Fortunately, the problem has been known about for a long time. The type of metal used in stents does not respond to magnets in any way. They aren’t going to move around and you can safely have an MRI if one is needed.
Pacemakers are another medical device that can bring up questions. Years ago, people who had a pacemaker were warned to stay away from microwaves. Considering that most households have at least one microwave, that can be a problem.
Those with pacemakers haven’t been abandoned by scientists. Better shielding has been built into them and they are usually just fine even if you’re in the same room as the microwave. This will make family gatherings a lot easier.
Those who have metal implants, especially joints do have a problem, though it’s not necessarily health related. Going through security at airports and court houses is not all that easy. Yes, those with the internal metal are given cards by their doctors, but that does not stop the hand wand or the pat down.
While those doing the pat downs are only supposed to do so on areas that the hand wand registers, not all obey this order. If you feel that the person performing the pat down is not following the rules, request a supervisor…politely.
There are those that argue even this is too much, but I don’t agree. If you ask me whether or not I’ve ever had metal implanted, yes. I have. It took quite a bit of it to put my knee back together. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go through security while it was in there, but I understand why it’s needed. Those cards could be forged, and the checks are for our safety.
Medical devices do a lot of good both in preserving the quality and quantity of life. Most of the time, they aren’t affected by the other machines in our world. If you have any questions about yours, speak to your doctor. He or she can help you understand how to stay safe.