Purpose: Metallic skin closure staples and vessel ligation clips should be tested at 3-Tesla to characterize MRI\r\nissues in order to ensure patient safety. Therefore, metallic surgical implants were assessed at 3-Tesla for magnetic\r\nfield interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts.\r\nMethods: A skin closure staple (Visistat Skin Stapler, staple, Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, coated 316L/316LVM\r\nstainless steel; Teleflex Medical, Durham, NC) and a vessel ligation clip (Hemoclip Traditional, stainless steel; Teleflex\r\nMedical, Durham, NC) that represented the largest metallic sizes made from materials with the highest magnetic\r\nsusceptibilities (i.e., based on material information) among 61 other surgical implants (52 metallic implants, 9\r\nnonmetallic implants) underwent evaluation for magnetic field interactions, MRI-related heating, and artifacts using\r\nstandardized techniques. MRI-related heating was assessed by placing each implant in a gelled-saline-filled\r\nphantom with MRI performed using a transmit/receive RF body coil at an MR system reported, whole body\r\naveraged SAR of 2.9-W/kg for 15-min. Artifacts were characterized using T1-weighted, SE and GRE pulse sequences.\r\nResults: Each surgical implant showed minor magnetic field interactions (20- and 27-degrees, which is acceptable\r\nfrom a safety consideration). Heating was not substantial (highest temperature change, = 1.6�°C). Artifacts may\r\ncreate issues if the area of interest is in the same area or close to the respective surgical implant.\r\nConclusions: The results demonstrated that it would be acceptable for patients with these metallic surgical\r\nimplants to undergo MRI at 3-Tesla or less. Because of the materials and dimensions of the surgical implants that\r\nunderwent testing, these findings pertain to 61 additional similar implants.
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