Breast enhancement surgery is one of the more common surgeries performed around the world today. For that reason, much research has gone into discovering whether breast implants affect a woman's health.
One of the more commonly pondered questions is whether breast surgery or implants will affect a woman's mammogram outcome. Let's find out.
Breast Implants and Mammography
Most researchers believe that women can enjoy having breast implants without worrying too much about how their implants will affect the outcome of mammogram screening.
Many doctors do suggest women receive a baseline mammogram before they have their implant surgery, so they have something to refer to in the future and compare future results to.
Now, when it comes to implants, most will reduce a doctor's ability to clearly visualize or see the breast during a routine mammography. For patients at risk for breast cancer, this may be a cause for concern. However, there are ways a patient can improve the odds that they will receive accurate mammograms in the future.
Much of how well a mammography visualizes the breast has to do with the location of the breast implant. If breast implants lie below the chest muscle, they are less likely to interfere with the results of a routine mammogram screen for cancer.
Typically breast implants show up on a mammogram as a white balloon-like structure. Breast implants placed above the muscle are more likely to obscure a doctor's view of your breast tissue. Most women, especially those with little breast tissue to begin with, have breast implants inserted under the muscle.
Many plastic surgeons feel this offers women a more natural look and feel. However, for some women, including those with larger breasts to start, having breast implants placed above the muscle is an option.
How Serious is the Impact of Breast Surgery When Testing for Cancer?
Most estimate that some implants may block as much as half of the breast tissue observed during a normal screen, while others may obscure as little as fifteen percent of the breast tissue. Usually what happens is the implant obscures part of the tissue.
Some women also get false positives on a mammogram, resulting from the formation of calcifications, a common side effect of breast surgery that occurs when scarring forms after surgery.
Despite the probability that breast implants may obscure a mammogram result, women should still receive routine check ups to rule out and detect early cancer. If you have concerns that your doctor will not be able to perform the procedure adequately, find a mammography center skilled in testing women with breast implants.
In fact, your plastic surgeon may be able to recommend someone. Other tests, including MRI screens, may be an option for someone women who want to make sure they are not at increased risk for breast cancer because a mammography does not reveal the entire breast tissue. If you do have concerns about mammography results, make sure you reveal these to your plastic surgeon and your regular doctor.
Together, the two of you can decide whether the risk outweighs the benefit of surgery. Researchers suggest today roughly 4 million or more women in the U.S. alone receive breast implants to date. Of these, there is not enough clinical evidence to suggest breast implants will impede views of breast tissue often enough to place women at risk for cancer. Still, the best person to consult for advice would be the person performing and reviewing the results of your mammogram.