How will breast reduction surgery affect my mammograms and cancer screenings?
To successfully detect breast cancer early, it is recommended that every woman after the age of 40-45 get regular mammograms. Breast reduction patients should wait approximately one year after surgery to get a mammogram since breasts can be tender for a while and mammogram compression can be painful if performed before the breasts are completely healed. Changes resulting from breast reduction surgery are visible on a mammogram. These include alterations in the internal breast structure and outside breast contour, scarring, asymmetrical densities and the appearance of calcium deposits. Most of these findings however are commonly radiographically discernable from other pathologies such as malignancies. Sometimes, other studies such as an ultrasound or MRI are required. Therefore, it is extremely important to let your physician/radiologist know that you have had breast reduction surgery prior to getting a mammogram.
