Blog

november 6, 2009

Mammograms: Before and After Breast Augmentation

It is extremely important to continue getting mammograms after breast augmentation. I recommend that all of my patients begin getting yearly mammograms at age 35, or if you have a family history of breast cancer, 10 years before the youngest woman in your family was diagnosed with breast cancer.

All implants will obscure some breast tissue on a mammogram, but implants placed beneath the muscle obscure less than those above the muscle (that’s one of many reasons why I prefer to put implants under the muscle). When getting a mammogram, simply tell the mammographer that you have implants. They will take some additional images called Ekland views to see as much of the breast tissue as possible. Mammograms certainly are not comfortable but that is not a good excuse to avoid them. Also, self breast exams are extremely important for cancer screening because mammograms can miss 10% to 20% of breast cancers. You should contact your doctor promptly if you find something out of the ordinary during a self-breast exam.

MRI’s are not generally used for routine screening. Routine MRI’s following silicone breast augmentation to check the implants are not necessary. Usually, an MRI is only necessary if your doctor believes that there is a good reason to take a closer look.

If you are having troubles with your mammograms because of the presence of an older implant which may have been placed on top of the muscle, you should see a plastic surgeon to find out if you should have something done to better your breast cancer screening.

-Dr. Houser