Screening Mammography for Women with Implants

If you have implants and have no other problems such as lumps, discharge or a decreased breast size due to a possible leakage, you will have a Screening with Implants mammography.

Screening with Implants Mammography
In this procedure we take a total of 8 pictures. Four of these pictures will be taken of your entire breast with the compression paddle placed slightly on the top of your breast. This will give the radiologist a full view of your breast and implant to rule out any possible visual leakage.

The next four pictures are called “Eklund” or push-back views. This special technique is needed to maximize breast tissue visualization. We do the same positioning as before but this time, we have to pull the skin forward and push the implant back. Implants interfere with imaging breast tissue between 22% and 83%. The Eklund technique can be slightly uncomfortable but it is necessary to compress the remaining breast tissue for a mammographic diagnosis.

Inform the Scheduler and Technician
Women who have breast implants should always inform the mammography center that they have breast implants when they make an appointment. Also always remind the mammography technologist that you have breast implants when you go to your exam.

Breast Cancer Risks for Women with Implants
The risk for breast cancer does not differ in women with breast implants compared to other women. Recommendations for breast cancer screening also apply to women with breast implants.

Other Risks for Women with Implants
Women considering breast implants should be aware of potential issues with mammography in order to make an informed decision. Biomaterial testing of breast implants indicates that implants should only break under the most traumatic circumstances and yet implants break for no apparent reason, as well as under pressure from mammograms. It is difficult to know how much a mammogram increases the risk of rupture since so little is understood about why implants break and under what circumstances.