Interventional MRI: Minimal-invasive Surgery under MR guidance

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well established method in medical diagnostics. By providing real-time fluoroscopic images of arbitrarily cross sections and high soft tissue contrast resolution, MRI in principle is the modality of choice for image guided interventions. Features like MR thermometry or phase contrast MRI may be used for outcome control of the surgery. This paper gives an overview on the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing MRI for image guided interventions and about the most promising medical applications. Different MR scanner types as well as issues related to the MRI compatibility and visualization of surgical tools are presented. Several safety aspects related to the scanner´s static and radio frequency fields are discussed.