How is the Mammogram procedure performed?

• Mammography is performed on an outpatient basis.
• During mammography, a specially qualified radiographer will position your breast in the mammography unit.
• Your breast will be placed on a special platform and compressed with a paddle (often made of clear Plexiglas or other plastic). The technologist will gradually compress your breast.
  
  Breast compression is necessary in order to:
• Even out the breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be visualized.
• Spread out the tissue so that small abnormalities are less likely to be obscured by overlying breast tissue.
• Allow the use of a lower x-ray dose since a thinner amount of breast tissue is being imaged.
• Hold the breast still in order to minimize blurring of the image caused by motion.
  
• Reduce x-ray scatter to increase sharpness of picture.
  
  
• The technologist will stand behind a glass shield during the x-ray exposure.
• Routinely two views of each breast are taken.
• They are a top-to-bottom view and an oblique side view.
• You must hold very still and may be asked to keep from breathing for a few seconds while the x-ray picture is taken to reduce the possibility of a blurred image.
• The images are then interpreted by a radiologist who may require further views ,if there is an area of concern.
• In our practice we do an ultrasound after the mammogram , as the ultrasound compliments the mammogram, and can pick up things that are not seen on mammogram, eg,cysts or small masses.
• An ultrasound is also used to better define an abnormality seen on the mammogram and helps to distinguish malignant from benign lesions.
• The examination process should take about 30 minutes but there may be a small wait for the ultrasound .
  

NB: Patients Must Bring Old X-Rays and scans for all procedures!