MRI and Cochlear Implants
Why MRI Safety Matters
MRI machines are a great invention. They allow doctors to see detailed images of the inside of your body, and quickly find out the best way to help you.
But not all cochlear implants are suitable for MRIs. MRI machines contain powerful magnets. During a scan, these large MRI magnets can pull on the small magnet inside some cochlear implants, which can cause pain and discomfort, or even damage the implant. This can mean extra surgery to remove the magnet in your implant, plus time without your audio processor as you recover from the surgery.
MED-EL SYNCHRONY cochlear implants are different. They have a revolutionary design that means you can have MRIs of up to 3.0 Tesla without magnet removal.* That’s because the magnets in our SYNCHRONY series cochlear implants can freely rotate and self-align inside of its housing so it’s not adversely affected by the magnetic field of an MRI scan.
Hassle-Free MRIs
All this means that you don’t need extra surgery** just to get an MRI. In fact, having an MRI is no different with or without a hearing implant.
So whatever life brings, you can experience hassle-free MRIs with MED-EL.
No Surgery
Safe, simple, and surgery-free. SYNCHRONY 2 can undergo both 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRI scans with the implant magnet in place. That means you won’t need surgery to remove and replace the magnet before and after your MRI.1, **
No Discomfort
Relax—there’s no pressure. SYNCHRONY 2 has a self-aligning magnet, so there’s no painful magnetic pulling on the implant during an MRI scan. That means outstanding comfort, even during high-strength 3.0 Tesla scans.2
No Hearing Downtime
Why wait? Hear right away after an MRI. Without surgery, there’s no waiting for healing, or hearing downtime, so you can use your audio processor immediately before and after your MRI.
Great Protection. Guaranteed.
Because of our long and positive experience with MRIs and cochlear implants, we offer a life-long MRI guarantee. We promise to replace your implant in the very unlikely event that it’s damaged during an MRI scan.***
Our MRI guarantee is:
- Valid for all MED-EL cochlear implants since 1994.
- Life-long and worldwide.
- The first and only to be offered by any hearing implant company.
So you can feel confident about any future MRI scans.
The Complete Guide To MRI
Have you just been told you need an MRI? Not sure what to expect? We’ve put together a list of the most commonly asked questions about MRI and cochlear implants.
Info for Radiologists
Radiologists can find all the information they'll need here in our medical procedures guide.
* MED-EL cochlear implants since 1994 are MR conditional. Recipients with a MED-EL cochlear implant may be safely MRI scanned following the conditions detailed in the instructions for use.
** Unless required for diagnostic reasons.
*** The terms and conditions of the MRI Guarantee can be found here.
1. Kim, B.G., Kim, J.W., Park, J.J., Kim, S.H., Kim, H.N., & Choi, J.Y. (2015). Adverse events and discomfort during magnetic resonance imaging in cochlear implant recipients. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 141(1), 45–52. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.2926.
http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1936465
2. Todt, I., Tittel, A., Ernst, A., Mittmann, P., Mutze, S. (2017) Pain free 3 T MRI scans in cochlear implantees. Otol Neurotol. 38(10) e401–e404.
Contact Us
Want to find out more about cochlear implants and MRI safety? Simply fill in the form below and we will put you in touch with a specialist in your area.
