Pacemakers have made rapid advances from their early days. Early pacemakers were large external machines which required a wall socket to be powered. These pacemakers required frequent charging and would cause physical pain through their use. However, modern pacemakers have advanced to provide ease and comfort to patients, but also include a whole host of additional features. Nevertheless, certain features remain important for the treatment of all patients.

Battery life remains the most important part of any pacemaker. The battery remains the primary part to keep the pacemaker going. Pacemakers require service every few months to maintain its battery status. The battery life can last from five to ten years. In this case, one should aim for the highest battery life possible. Pacemakers have advanced to the point that one can have an outpatient surgery to replace the battery, but those who have pacemakers to begin with are often those most vulnerable to infection and complication. Battery life allows both the patient and their health care specialists to cut down on surgeries it proves the number one consideration.

Shielding remains another strong consideration. Early pacemakers were often unshielded. This could lead to death if the patient had even the most minimal interactions with electronic devices. However, current pacemakers have often installed shielding to protect the patient from disruptions. Magnetic fields provide the greatest challenge to electronics. Frequently, magnets leave various electronic components and nothing more than a worthless heap of silicon. However, advances in shielding have created pacemakers that can not only stand up to consumer electronics, but to magnetic resonance imaging machines (MRIs) which create some of the strongest magnetic fields in the Earth. One can help the identification and treatment of other ailments.

Finally, there a host of options which can aid patients above and beyond the core pacemaker statistics. Most newer pacemakers have complex computer systems within them. These complex systems include both information gathering and processing capabilities to keep the pacemaker within the most optimal rate for the heart. They even have pacemakers which can use the phone to call in a status update.

An MRI has an important place in any hospital. It doesn’t use ionizing radiation like CT scans and so there’s much less chance of complications for patients. The MRI provides especially good imagining of different tissues and proves useful in brain scans, cardiovascular scans, and oncology. MRI machines are incredibly expensive. Traditionally insurance and federal funding have supported MRIs, but the Federal Deficiet Reduction Act has reduced payments for an MRI. This economic reality colors any institutions consideration in regards to an MRI. However, there are several different advances and avenues to consider in regards to MRIs.

The first question concerns the resolution of the MRI. Currently, there are both 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRIs. The 3.0 Tesla MRIs have a much higher imaging resolution. This allows them to pick up a wider range of phenomena when scanning the patient which will aid in diagnosis. However, they’re much more expensive and they’re currently all close bore which can cause discomfort especially to patients with claustrophobia or anxiety.

One can find a wide range of different models and advances when considering a 1.5 Tesla model. Some of the newest models can maintain the magnetic field even with an open side. This allows patients to have an open experience will still maintaining the imagining level. This level of comfort for patients might be worth the trade off in resolution especially if one can refer them to a nearby hospital with a more powerful MRI.

One should consider cost as well as comfort. A higher resolution MRI may garner referrals for difficult cases from other local hospitals and clinics even if they have their own. However, it might make sense to go with a cheaper and more comfortable MRI if the area is already saturated by a high level of high imagining MRIs. One should always factor in cost to the purchase of large equipment or it can quickly become a drain on the hospital or clinics finances and reduce resources for patient care.