My mother had a procedure done in 1960-61 to correct for 
calcium deposits in the ear. the doctor used a metal wire & some 
skin from hear earlobe and inserted into the ear after removing 
the calcium deposits. My question is was/is there a particular 
type of metal that has always been used. She needa a MRI of her 
neck but unless we can determine what type of metal, they won’t 
do one. The doctor has long since deceased and she can’t remember 
wher she had the procedure done. Any help at all would be greatly 
appreciated.

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

If she had metal wire implanted in the 60’s, it is most likely ferromagnetic and therefore MRI cannot be done. I don’t know why she needs an MRI, but in many cases, modern high-resolution CT equipment will produce sufficient quality images for diagnosis and treatment planning. Discuss this possibility with her doctors. If hippocampal volume needs to be measured, then the CT is probably not accurate enough, but it all depends on the indication of the MRI.