Mammogram with breast implants

I’m in the same situation with my implants and they are saline filled, I was first given silicone but back then the silicone was liquid and it caused so many problems. I lost my breasts after having children and I was only 26, my little breasts looked like deflated balloons and the bras we had weren’t as well made as today. I went through hell with this decision but it’s a long story, I am 74 and due next month for a mammogram but I’m not sure if I will have it, my doctor feels that I should still have one because I’m a cancer patient, I have had ultrasound done on a few occasions but it’s not very thorough because of the density of the implant. I think you’re in a better place because you have the newer silicone that isn’t liquid so even if you have a little opening it won’t leak out into your body, they were specially designed to stop leaks because years ago some women got very sick from the gel going through their body. I have tried years ago to get them removed but they won’t do anything unless I let them put new ones in, I don’t want new implants because it would be absurd, can you imagine an older woman with an older body getting new breasts, it’s like hanging a new chandelier in an old house lol, I don’t think you have anything to worry about with the new ones and good luck with your surgery.

I also wanted to say that you should make sure that you get a technician who is specialized in implants, they have a take more pictures than natural breast and they will do a good job with the procedure, make sure that you tell them you have implants before hand and that you want someone trained to do it right.

I think you should have a MRI.

Thank you so much @fronterae and @frouke for your helpful responses!
I really appreciate your advice (and new chandelier humor frouke!!).
@fronterae I agree about the MRI. I had an MRI three years ago so I didn't have to worry about the implants, but getting an MRI in that "hanging" position was not very pleasant either.
Maybe I will start with an ultrasound to see what that shows. I don't have too much actual breast tissue. Without the implants, I am pretty flat.

@hello1234 , hi, I said good luck with your surgery and that was incorrect, I meant to say good luck with the procedure, 👍

Have you thought about a QT scan. It is an advanced ultrasound imaging system that uses both transmission and reflection modes to provide high-resolution images of the breast. It is an alternative or supplemental tool for breast imaging that does not use ionizing radiation and there is no compression involved. But there are only a few places in the US that have them. California has four.

@maymore
Wow, what great information! I never heard of a QT scan. I will do some research to see if it's available in my area. I wonder if Mayo Clinic Jacksonville has a QT scanner. I will call. Is the patient experience similar to a cat scan?
Thanks so much for alerting me to this new test!

It’s actually more like an MRI or an ultrasound, in that there’s no radiation involved, no compression, and it is FDA-approved. At this point in time they’re recommending it as a supplement or for special needs women with screening issues. I’m using it because I don’t want any more radiation.

@maymore Thank you so much for this excellent information!

I had my saline breast implants before I got cancer. I never had an issue at all with mammograms and implants. I did have breast tissue thought before I got the implants in. So the technician would just press the implant out of the way and pull the breast tissue forward. However I will never get saline Implants again! They rupture way too soon. Right now my right breast is totally deflated. Not from mamogram, just from the life span of them. I am due to have surgery this Monday. My surgeon said I could replace both of them with silicone or just do an explant. I am leaning towards explant. I should mention my cancer was dcis and caught by the mamogram. I alternate now between mammogram and mri every 6 months. I choose to do lumpectomy plus radiation. I am 47 years old. I think you should be fine with a mamogram. I would not skip anything that could detect cancer. It’s not worth the risk. Good luck !