If you’ve ever panicked upon approaching an MRI system due to either real or perceived claustrophobia — or sheer size — you’ll be delighted to learn of recent acquisitions by Lakeland Health for facilities in both Watervliet and Niles. The local regional hospital system has acquired wide bore magnetic resonance imaging sytems, (MRIs) affording a much wider approach to critical healthcare scanning.
Lakeland Hospitals in both Niles and Watervliet have added the new wide bore MRI system which offers patients the optimized comfort of conventional open systems, as well as the high-quality imaging of closed systems. The wide bore MRI system is 70 centimeters wide and can hold up to 550 pounds to better accommodate claustrophobic patients as well as those who cannot fit into conventional MRI machines, such as obese patients or patients with wide shoulders.
Tyson Stewart is Radiology Manager for Lakeland Health. He says, “In the past patients have been limited to conventional closed or open MRI systems.” He notes, “Closed MRIs were only accessible for a select number of patients due to size constraints and the fear and anxiety it would cause for patients with claustrophobia, or fear of tight spaces.”
While open MRIs provided a more comfortable environment since patients were able to see out all the way around the machine, the systems often provide poor image quality for physicians due to a lack of magnetic field strength as a result of the open sides. Stewart says, “The new wide bore MRI system combines the best of both systems and we are pleased to be able to offer this option to our patients at Lakeland.”
MRI is a diagnostic imaging modality that utilizes a combination of magnet and radio waves to produce clear images of the body without the use of x-rays. Actual scan times in the MRI machine range from 25 to 45 minutes. For more information or to schedule an appointment, you can call (269) 556-2810.
