Breast Augmentations and Mammograms

According to the American Cancer Society, women in good health over the age of 40 should get annual mammograms to check for early signs of breast cancer. In comparison, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that healthy women between the ages of 50 and 75 get a mammogram every two years. Regardless of which guideline your doctor follows, it is important to undergo regular mammograms as part of a breast cancer screening program after the age of either 40 or 50. This can cause a particular dilemma if you have breast implants, particularly if you have had them in for 10 or more years.

Implant Age

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 82,000 women between the ages of 20 and 29 underwent a breast augmentation procedure at the hands of an ASPS member surgeon. By the time these women reach the earliest possible age for regular mammogram screening, it is possible that their implants will be at least 10 years old. The chances for a rupture will increase if the implants are more than 10 years old.

It will be immediately obvious if a saline implant ruptures, as the breast will quickly deflate to its size prior to surgery. The saline will simply be reabsorbed into the body. Ruptures may go unnoticed in the case of silicone implants, but there is less chance of a rupture. Regardless of which type of implant you have, a standard mammogram is unlikely to cause a rupture.

Proper View of Breasts

Another concern for breast implants and mammography is whether or not there is a good clear image of the breast from all angles. Again, this is less of a problem with saline implants, since they are only filled with saltwater.

Silicone implants placed behind the mammary glands (subglandular) may obscure certain views of the breasts with a standard mammography. Silicone implants placed behind the pectoral muscles of the chest (subpectoral) are less prone to this problem. Various studies have cited that anywhere from 15 percent to 25 percent of the breast may be obscured in cases of subglandular silicone implants. Although this may seem to decrease early detection rate, one large study found that although tumor detection in silicone-augmented breasts was later than in non-augmented breasts, the basic characteristics of the tumors in terms of size and invasiveness was comparable.

Getting a Clear Picture

Healthy women with silicone breast implants who want to be assured of the best possible view of their breasts for cancer screening may wish to consider ultrasound or MRI screening, instead of a standard mammography. An MRI screening can also detect a rupture in silicone breast implants.

Although most insurance companies will not cover MRI screening for otherwise healthy women, it is always a good idea to check. If you do decide to pay out of pocket for an MRI, you may find that a free-standing imaging clinic (rather than one attached to a hospital) will be less expensive.

Regardless of the type or location of your breast implants, it is imperative to get routine screenings for breast cancer. If you have questions or concerns about breast implants, the staff at Jefferson Plastic Surgery will be happy to discuss these with you at the initial consultation visit.