New Product Available Takes the Discomfort Out of Having a Mammogram
One of the main reasons why women elect not to have regular mammograms, outside of the fear of possibly discovering breast cancer, is the concern of pain, pressure and discomfort. This concern keeps many women from getting an annual mammogram, an important health test that they know they should have.
The mammography technologists at Perry Hospital and the Pavilion Diagnostic Center in Warner Robins believe that a new product called the MammoPad, a soft, warm, single-use foam cushion approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), will help women to change the way they feel about having a mammogram.
According to Lisa Behling, RT, RM, manager of Diagnostic Imaging Services at Perry Hospital and a registered mammographer, the MammoPad, an adhesive product that looks much like a computer mousepad, makes the compression of the breast, which may cause the discomfort, much more tolerable. “The MammoPad is applied to the mammography equipment and provides a nice, soft cushion for the patient’s ribs and chest muscles. Patients are more relaxed, able to lean in, hold still and not pull away which makes it much easier for the technologist to take the images,” she explained. “Having this product available gives our patients a much more comfortable, pleasant experience in getting a mammogram, and we hope that women who are concerned about the pain and discomfort will decide to go forward with getting their regular mammogram because we have this new MammoPad available for them.”
The MammoPad was designed by a female breast surgeon after she began looking for a solution to a problem while conducting breast research that involved successive compressions on the same patient. Complaints from the research participants led the surgeon, Dr. Gail Lebovic, to develop the MammoPad which would be soft enough to make the exam more comfortable yet be made of a thin radiolucent material to allow X-rays to pass through to maintain the quality of the image. Clinical studies have shown that the MammoPad significantly reduces the discomfort many women feel during mammography.
“This invention is truly one of the best things that have come along in mammography. We hope that by having the MammoPad available at Perry Hospital and the Pavilion Diagnostic Center more women, no longer worried about the pain and discomfort, will get regular mammograms which detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage,” Behling added.
The Mammography Services at Perry Hospital and the Pavilion Diagnostic Center offer state-of-the-art equipment and a staff of female technologists trained and registered in providing screening and diagnostic mammograms. The services are accredited by the American College of Radiology and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). All mammogram films are read and interpreted by board certified radiologists.