[Magnetic resonance imaging of patients with cardiac pacemakers--a safe mode of operation].

Owing to potential serious safety risks, magnetic resonance imagings of patients having cardiac pacemakers have long been forbidden. Due to the increased demand, modes of operation have, however, been developed for safe imaging, taking the benefit-risk aspects into account. The mode of operation devised in collaboration between the HUCH Cardiology Outpatient Clinic and the radiology unit of the HUS Medical Imaging and Physiology makes safe magnetic resonance imagings possible without body area restrictions for all kinds of cardiac pacemaker patients. By using the developed mode of operation, imaging of 268 patients with cardiac pacemakers have already been carried out safely by the end of October 2014. We describe the content of the mode of operation and the current status of the investigations, with a brief look into the future.