Choosing Where You Get Your Yearly Mammogram
Your comfort and screening technology are key.
Choosing where to get your yearly mammogram can be as important as choosing to get one at all. That’s because your comfort, and the available screening technology, should be top priority.
Here’s what I suggest you look for when choosing where to get your yearly mammogram.
National Endorsements
Ensure that the screening center you choose is Mammogram Quality Standards Act-accredited. This means that the center has passed the FDA-required certification that addresses safety, quality and follow-up. A center backed by the American College of Radiology and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers is also proven to provide high-quality breast care to patients.
Advanced screening options
Guarantee that you are getting the most accurate results by making sure the screening location you select has up-to-date technology, like 2D and 3D mammography, as well as ultrasound and stereotactic 3D-guided breast biopsy. Many centers offer C-view imaging technology that allows for reduced radiation exposure.
And, if you’re worried about comfort, modern centers offer curved plates and advanced padding to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Comprehensive treatment
Consider a breast center for your mammogram. A comprehensive center can not only provide you with the latest mammogram technology, but also the resources and individual guidance of several specialists should you need additional care.
If follow-up screening is needed, many centers are set up to provide those supplemental results on the same day. You may also get to stick with the same providers throughout the process, including the individual attention of a breast navigator, if you need treatment. A center can also offer advanced treatment options like the Savi-Scout ®, which can make lumpectomies easier for both patients and surgeons.
Did you know that in Virginia you do not need a doctor's order to schedule a mammogram? You can self-schedule your routine, yearly screening mammogram as soon as you are due for one. Diagnostic mammograms, which are typically administered after an unusual finding on a previous mammogram or other symptoms, still require a doctor's order.
Scheduling your mammogram is also easier than ever when night, weekend and even mobile mammography appointments are available. In fact, our center offers mobile 3D mammography, to provide a time and place convenient for you.
Make time for good health.
Still not convinced you should get a mammogram? Check out Surprising Facts about Modern Mammography.
A native to southeastern Virginia, Dr. Ruiz attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. He received his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and completed a general surgery residency at the Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke and the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.
Ruiz is the medical director of The Breast Center at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. He is board certified in stereotactic breast procedures and general surgery and is certified in stereotactic and ultrasound-guided breast biopsies. Dr. Ruiz participates in registry trials by Targeted Medical Education, an elite group of community-based breast cancer physicians dedicated to identifying genuine advances in the breast cancer field including percutaneous lumpectomies. He a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.