Magnetic resonance imaging of postoperative patients with metallic implants.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were reviewed in 10 postsurgical patients with metallic implants in the abdomen or pelvis. MRI scans in these patients were free of the streak artifacts commonly encountered in computed tomography. This represents a significant advantage in diagnostic imaging in postsurgical patients, and it suggests that MRI may be a valuable technique in the postoperative assessment of patients with extensive abdominal surgical clips or metallic prostheses.