For more information on this specific procedure, click on mammography

It is best to make a booking for your mammogram at the branch of your choice. Be at the rooms at least fifteen minutes prior to appointment time. Always bring your previous mammograms along and hand them over to the radiographer who will perform the examination.

Do not wear deodorant, lotion or talcum powder on breasts or under the arms on the day of the examination. They may cause artifacts that may interfere with the interpretation of the examination.

You may be requested to remove some or all jewelry prior to the examination and will be handed a key to lock them in a locker in your cubicle. As you will be requested to undress from the waist up, you will be given a top or gown to wear prior to the examination. During the examination this will also have to be removed since it may cause artifacts on the films.

The examination will only take a few minutes.

You should inform the radiographer or doctor if there is any possibility that you are pregnant. Inform the technologist performing the examination of any breast symptoms or problems and supply her with any relevant information form your past medical history. The radiographer will take a short history from you prior to the examination.

Your breasts will be positioned in the mammogram unit by a trained radiographer. A minimum of two examinations will be performed on each breast. These will be done from the top and from the side of each breast.

During the examination each breast will be compressed and flattened between two clear Plexiglas or plastic panels.  Some patients will experience the study as uncomfortable and a few experience it as painful. Mostly patients will experience it as only a minor discomfort.

After the examination is completed you may be requested to wait in your cubicle or in an ultrasound room while the doctor interprets the films. Further views of the breasts may be required or an ultrasound examination may be performed as an additional evaluation.

The breasts should be compressed and flattened as much as possible in order to allow for all breast tissue to be visualized and to allow the use of the lowest possible x-ray dose. It is therefore important to give your fullest co-operation during the examination.

If you experienced discomfort during the examination, your breasts may be tender for a short while after the examination. You can however continue with your daily routine as usual as there are no side-effects to this examination. In patients with breast prosthesis there is a very small risk of prosthetic rupture and any change in size or shape of a breast after a mammogram should be reported to your doctor.

Please ensure that you receive your films and report from the radiology department. It is very important that you make these available to your doctor at your earliest convenience. The report will usually be available within an hour and a half to two hours, after completion of the examination. If further evaluation is needed your referring physician will inform you accordingly.

If you usually experiences breast tenderness in the week prior to menstruation, it is best not to book your mammogram during that week. Examine your own breasts regularly and report any abnormality detected by yourself immediately to your doctor.

Always bring your previous examinations along for comparison