Mammography and Breast Implants

Women with breast implants need to have screening mammograms. However, they must take special care to ensure the technician doing the mammogram and the radiologist reading the results are experienced with implant patients. Implants may hide some of the breast tissue, making it more difficult to detect abnormalities on the mammogram.

Talk with the staff of the facility when you make your appointment and make sure they are aware you have implants. You should also personally make the technician aware you have breast implants before the mammogram begins. Steps can be taken to ensure as much of the breast tissue as possible can be seen. If you have breast implants, more views are obtained (implant displaced views as well as standard mammographic views).