Why Having Implants Shouldn't Affect Breast Cancer Awareness

October 4, 2013 - By Dr. Jules Feledy

The US Department of Health and Human Services put out its October 2013 Toolkit for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer found in American women – 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer at some point in their lives. This makes it all the more important for women to all be educated about proper breast health. Having implants doesn’t change that fact, but it does make it critical that your doctor knows how to deal with them.

Let’s take a look 3 important questions and the different things that factor into their answers.

1. Why is it important to have regular mammogram checks?

• Even if you perform self-checks religiously, lumps cannot always be felt by the bare hand.
• Mammograms can be fit easily into a busy schedule, taking as little as 20 minutes.
• Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death among American women; mammograms can help detect breast cancer at an early and easily treatable stage.
• Being vigilant about breast cancer prevention sets a good, encouraging example for the other women in your life.

2. Can women with breast implants get a mammogram?

Of course. It’s incredibly important that women with breast augmentation continue to have mammograms. It is important to inform your doctor performing your mammogram that you have received implants so that they can adjust accordingly – even though implants may hide some breast tissue, your doctor should be experienced in performing mammograms on breast augmentation patients. Special techniques, like implant displacement views, are now being used to help detect abnormal tissue around the implant. Impant Displasment View is a procedure used to do a mammogram (x-ray of the breasts) in women with breast implants. The implant is pushed back against the chest wall and the breast tissue is pulled forward and around it so the tissue can be seen in the mammogram. Also called Eklund displacement views and Eklund views.

3. How do I ensure my mammogram will give me the most accurate possible results?

It’s all about not wearing anything that can affect the results of the test. These items should be avoided when going in for your scan:

• Deodorantd
• Lotion
• Powder
• Perfume
• Jewelry

If you have any questions about mammograms or breast cancer safety after breast surgery, click below to speak with a board-certified plastic surgeon.