Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex, Texas Breast Enhancement
If you are considering cosmetic breast augmentation, you want to make sure that you will still be able to ensure the health of your breast and body after surgery. One essential component of health for women is ensuring that you have regular, effective mammograms to screen for breast cancer. Breast implants do make mammograms more difficult, but when appropriately handled mammograms are still effective after breast augmentation.
This page gives some basic background information for women considering breast augmentation, but if you have detailed questions you want answered, we invite you to talk to breast surgeon in Dallas, Dr. Vasdev Rai in person at the Cosmetic Surgical Center in Dallas, Texas.
Mammograms after Breast Augmentation: What the Studies Say
Breast implants obscure part of the breast, so it is likely that your mammograms may be less able to detect breast cancer early after breast augmentation. According to one modestly-sized study, the sensitivity of mammograms after breast augmentation was 45% as compared to 67% in women without breast implants. However, the study notes that tumors were of similar size when detected in women both with and without breast implants, meaning that breast implants did not significantly delay detection of breast cancer.
A larger study based on a review of the medical records of nearly 13,500 breast implant recipients showed that breast implants did not affect the risk of breast cancer or of adverse outcomes related to breast cancer.
Ensuring the Best Mammograms after Breast Augmentation
Although breast implants are not likely to affect your risk of breast cancer, there are some ways you can work to improve the sensitivity of your mammograms. First, consider submuscular breast implant placement. Although there has been no evidence to suggest that it affects the rate of adverse events, it does affect the visibility of the breast. Researchers estimate that the Eklund technique shows up to 64% of breast tissue for women with subglandular breast implants, but up to 85% of breasts with submuscular breast implants. Second, Dr. Rai may recommend that you receive a mammogram to establish a “baseline” prior to your surgery.
In addition, you can potentially improve your results by:
- Visiting a facility where they see many women with breast implants
- Mention your breast implants prior to your mammogram
- Talk to your doctor about potential improvements in x-ray technology–studies show digital x-rays significantly increase the sensitivity of mammograms
Some people have talked about the potential use of MRIs to improve the imaging results and increase the ability to detect breast cancer earlier, but currently this is not recommended as a primary screening tool, though it may be recommended to assess suspicious images on a typical mammogram.
Safety Is Dr. Rai’s Primary Concern
Dr. Vasdev Rai has built his reputation in Dallas on his excellent treatment of his patients. This means ensuring their safety during a procedure, but also after as well. He will talk to you about concerns you may have about mammograms and how to balance risks and benefits to get the procedure that will give you the best possible results.
To talk to him in person, please contact the Cosmetic Surgical Center today to schedule a breast enhancement consultation. We happily serve patients in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.
