Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital receives unique MRI system with 5-ton magnet

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital recently had a brand new piece of medical equipment. A cardiac MRI system with a magnet around 30,000 times stronger than the earth’s magnetic pull was delivered on Monday inside the medical center with a special heavy-duty crane to lower it into the building! The unit was so large workers had to remove and reinstall windows, doors, and walls to move the machine.

A new cardiac MRI unit has been installed at the Abrazo Heart Health hospital in Phoenix.(Abrazo Arrowhead)

The machine can see into the heart in a very detailed way. “Cardiac MRI is a tool unique in its capabilities. It is able to identify normal muscle from scar tissue, observe normal and abnormal blood flow within the heart, measure blood flow across the heart valves and in arteries, identify tumors and masses, and create 3D models to aid in understanding of each individual’s unique anatomy and physiology,” Dr. Nickalaus Gramze, a cardiologist and Medical Director of Cardiac Imaging at the clinic, said in a statement.

All of this machine’s capabilities come without radiation exposure or the need for iodine contrast use. Dr. Gramze said the cardiac MRI unit can determine heart health better without a stress test or echocardiogram. The new addition to the clinic cost around $4.3 million.