Do Breast Augmentations Interfere With Mammograms?

As breast cancer awareness around the world has increased,potential patients consistently ask plastic surgeons about the potential ofbreast augmentation surgery interfering with mammograms. The bottom line isthis: unless your breast implants are placed above the pectoral muscles, solong as you inform your mammogram technician about your implants, they will notinterfere with mammogram accuracy.

Mammography technologists typically take similarly angledimages from woman to woman when checking for breast cancer. Implants mayinterfere with the accuracy of these images because they have a tendency tomask tumors. If a woman has implants and informs the technician beforehand,additional images will be taken from various angles to maximize mammogramaccuracy.

Breast Augmentation Rupture Potential Due to Mammograms

Breast implants are not forever—eventually an implant willrequire replacement due to rupture potential or actually rupturing. Typically,breast implants last approximately 14.5 years. While a recent FDA studysuggests that mammography can shorten your implants lifespan, the truth may beotherwise.

The majority of women undergo breast augmentationsurgery in their 20s or early 30s. Women are recommended to receive regularmammography exams from 40 years old on. By this point, the majority of breastimplants are already vulnerable to rupture, which may be why the study suggeststhat mammography can shorten implant lifespan.

Delaying and Avoiding Mammography Screenings

Since women may be concerned about mammograms increasing therupture potential of their breast implants, many will delay or avoid suggestedmammogram screenings. This is a common cause of delayed breast cancer detectionand contributes to false information spreading about breast implantsinterfering with mammogram accuracy.

Prior to undergoing breast augmentation surgery, you must beaware that breast implants do not last forever—eventually they must be replacedand this will require additional financing and invasive surgery.

Failure to Inform Mammogram Technician

Another common cause of misinformation regarding breastimplants inhibiting mammogram accuracy is a woman failing to inform theirmammogram technician about breast implants prior to the screening.

While breast implants can mask tumors from regularly imagedangles, if the technician is aware of the implants prior to the screening,additional images will be taken from a variety of angles, which can increasemammogram accuracy.

Breast Implants Above the Pectoral Muscles

If you have had breast augmentation surgery and the implantswere placed above the muscle, which is common in scarless breastaugmentations, then mammogram accuracy will naturally be inhibited.

This is the predominant reason for the initial hyperegarding Trans-umbilical Breast Augmentations to have waned.