Mammography or mammograms are vital screening tests to detect any structural changes in the breast tissues. They are most used for detecting breast-related malignancies at the initial stages. However, women with breast implants may face issues with going for a mammogram in New York City. Many women are unaware of whether their implant size can affect future mammography results. In this blog, we will shed light on the same. Read on.
How Does Breast Implant Size Affect Mammography?
Breast implants come in various shapes and sizes. The use of breast implants for cosmetic reasons can affect future mammography results in multiple ways. A mammography or mammogram is an x-ray done to get an image of the breast tissues. For women with implants, mammograms can be a little challenging. The opacity of the implants can restrict clear visualization of the breast tissues. Incomplete imaging may fail to give accurate results due to the unavailability of the complete picture. If the breast implant is bigger, a standard mammogram fails to detect the smaller and more minute abnormalities in your breast.
Navigating the Way-out
For women who have undergone breast implant surgery the standard mammogram method may not work out. For them, a specialized technique called the displacement technique may prove to help take more vivid and comprehensive images. This new technique is also called the Eklund mammogram, and it is capable of improving visibility. This technique involves moving the implant aside gently and compressing the tissues on your breast to obtain clearer images of the natural breast structures and tissues. This mammogram technique is beneficial for women with larger breast implants.
Takeaway
Breast implant size may influence the mammography results by cutting off the visuality of the breast structures. However, breast implants do not stand in the way of effective screening. With the use of advanced techniques available nowadays, accurate results may be obtained even for women with large-sized implants. Timely screening and open communication with your doctor and radiologist can help you identify breast-related issues at an early stage even for women with breast implants. Dr. Nilay Shah of the Shah Plastic Surgery Clinic in New York City does breast implant surgeries with immense expertise and experience. If you have recently gone through a breast implant surgery in NYC, you may opt for mammography without bothering about the results!
