New MRI machine available at Marian Regional Medical Center
A new MRI machine is now available for use at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. It’s the only one of its kind between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
The new machine has a 3T, or three tesla, magnet. This increase in magnetic strength allows for better imaging quality and faster scanning time, which doctors say makes it a great modality for scanning prostates, breasts, doing orthopedic imaging of joints and for neuro-imaging.
“This will give them the type of detail that will really allow them to plan their surgeries and know what to expect when they get in there. They’re gonna see things with much greater detail before they actually go in and do their procedure,” explains Dr. Steven Sonnabend, Director of Imaging Services at Marian Regional Medical Center:
Dr. Sonnabend says the new machine compliments their other MRI machines which currently use one and a half tesla magnets, a level of MRI which he considers to still be a gold standard in healthcare.
