In our aging population, large joint replacements and implantable cardiac devices are becoming increasingly prevalent. For instance, it is estimated that by 2020, almost 30% of the 65+ population in five major countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) in Europe will have one or more cardiac or orthopedic implants. These implants limit the possibility of doing MRI, reducing the diagnostic options for those patients.1 This affects diagnostics in oncology as well, for instance for prostate cancer, a disease with patients that are typically 65+.
In clinical practice, scanning patients with implants brings challenges. It can be a real puzzle to identify the implant and figure out the condition limits that need to be applied when scanning the patient. As a result, patients with implants are often denied an MRI scan. However, for many of these patients, MRI scans do not have to be ruled out. Philips ScanWise Implant guides the user through simple steps to enter MR parameter values of the important conditions.
