Mammography alternative

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Kathy McCain

Kathy McCain

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Messages
1,087
Location
Texas
Hi, I was just wondering how the ladies on this forum handled their breast cancer screening post surgery? I had a lot of complications. I still take prednisone 5mg for chronic pericarditis. I also have chest wall inflamation at times. My family doctor told me I may have this annoyance for the rest of my life. He does not seem to think it is serious though. The pericarditis, on the other hand he said, needs to be monitored by my cardio, which he is doing. I am considering a breast MRI. I do not want 20lbs of compression on my chest, just yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Hi Kathy,
My cancer dr just told me I have to have a breast MRI. Due to having had cancer,OHS and Lung surgery. So I went and check out the machine that does the breast MRI, it is'nt exactly like a normal MRI. Have you seen the machine that does it? You lay on your belly and they put your breast inside these holes and they inject contrast. It is much more in depth and it takes about 20 mins after your hooked up and go into the tube. The tube is opened at both ends but it very small. Not to thrilled that I have to add another test to my list but you do what you have to do.
Your still laying on your chest so don't know if you will not feel some pressure that way visus the normal mammogram. If you have any other questions let me know because I will be having this test in October. Hope that helps some.
Good Luck,
Crystal :)
 
I waited for six months post op after my second OHS to have my next mammogram and I had no problem at all. I took a tylenol before my appointment but in the end it wasn't necessary.

The screening is so important that assuming your doctors have given the okay for you to go, when you get time for your appointment, you should try your best to do it.

I expected pain and was pleasantly relieved to suffer none out of the ordinary.
 
My biggest problem is my defibrillator and leads. They never can get a good pic of my left breast 'cause I won't let them smush my leads (duh), plus I have fibroids and dense tissue, so I wind up having a sonogram every year. There's another option for you, perhaps.
 
I am really confused now.

I requested a breast MRI, instead of a usual mammo because of complications, which is causing some discomfort, and sensitivity. So my Gynocologist, and family doctor gave written permission for an MRI. I explained of course my problem to them. I read on the internet (the MRI website) that you should not have an MRI, if you have any metal in your body. Well, duh, I have stainless steel wires in my sternum. So I called my family Dr's office, and left a message with his nurse explaining the situation. (remember this Dr signed a form giving permission for the test). She returned my call today, saying the Dr. said no, I could not have an MRI with the metal wires! Can someone clarify this for me please? I seem to be conflicting stories! Thanks.
 
Shouldn't be a problem:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3005170
Before the examination, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire asking you about any implants or surgeries you may have had. Most implants used in heart patients (e.g., sternal wires, stents, occluding devices, coils, most heart valves, etc.) are considered permissible for an MRI examination.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/services/tests/radiograph/mri.aspx
The MRI uses powerful magnets to create its images. For your safety, anyone undergoing a scan should be free of certain metallic or magnetic items. Inform the MRI staff if you have any metallic implants or any metal under the skin. Most metallic implants, such as sternal wires and mediastinal clips used for heart surgery, pose no problem. However, some conditions may make an MRI inadvisable.
 
I would call your surgeon's office and ask about having a MRI. He's the one who will know what metal was used to close your sternum and if it is compatible with an MRI, and if there are any other metal parts in there like a ring or something else.
 
I have been thinking about having a mamo. It will be 6 months the end of August that I had minimal invasive surgery on my Mitral valve. They cut on top of right breast and also on underneath right breast. The thought of having my breast clamped is not someting I want. My scars are not healing that well. Still very red. I am having the scars checked by my surgeon in early September. Hope he can suggest a non painful mamo
 
Kathy - Did you get a notification card after your surgery, describing your "new parts"? I got one for my annuloplasty ring, which includes info about what kinds of MRIs are and are not safe for me.

Harmony - Have you tried something like Mederma cream? It seems to be really improving the healing of my scars.

Marcia
 
Yes, I do have an identification card, but it does not say anything about MRI's. It just tells me what type of valve I have, and the size. I will double check though. I do I get one of these cards?

Thanks
 
Kathy, my card just says what type of valve and the serial #. When you go for the MRI they will ask you if you have any metal in your body. I told them yes and showed them my card. They said St Judes are oked for MRI's. You should of gotten a card after surgery showing what valve was replaced.
Good Luck on making your decision.
 
Yes, I have a Medtronic Mosaic 3r generation tissue valve. The sternal wires are stainless steel.

Thanks everyone for your input! It does mean a lot to me.
 
Mine has my name, the serial number and model number of my annuloplasty ring, the surgeon's name, the hospital, and the implant date on the front.

On the back it says that it's "MRI Conditional" and lists:
- Static magnetic field of 3-Tesla or less
- Spatial gradient of 525 Gauss/cm or less
- Maximum whole-body-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) of 2.0-W/kg for 15 minutes of scanning

HTH,
Marcia
 
Last edited:
I had

I had

my mammogram about 2 months before I had my MVR and then went the following year which was fine. I'd wait about about 6-8 months to heal if you didn't have it prior to surgery. Good luck with all!
 
Kathy:

I had a mammogram earlier this summer, and I was quite surprised -- the diagnostic center had new equipment that was much less painful. I commented to the tech about the change, and she said the equipment was just a few months old.

I had another type of breast exam a number of years ago, not a mammogram. A thermal type scan, I think, at a hospital's breast center. Seems like there was something suspicious and this was a 2nd test.

Routine diagnostic breast tests are something every woman should have periodically. I had my first mammogram at age 18, due to fibrocystic tissue, then a biopsy at 29, a needle aspiration some years after that.

Perhaps if you were to take some kind of pain med before a mammogram that would help immensely?
 
Catwomen,

I need to decide soon. I usually have a mammo every 1 1/2 yrs. I have fibrocystic condition that has not changed since I was in my twenties. I also had a biopsy when I was 27. It's been about 2 1/2 yrs. I feel kind of silly being so anxious about this. Especially after going through AVR. I never liked the mamo, but at least I would buck up and go with it! I am still having some chest discomfort on and off though.
 
I'm an mri tech

I'm an mri tech

I've been reading these posts and some good information is being talked about. All heart valves are okay for MRI up to a field strength of 1.5T, the force of your heart beating is more than the MRI scanner would pull. At my facility (a heart hospital) we scan implanted valves all day long. More facilities, including our own, are installing 3T magnets which require more research on your implant history we would need to know the make/model of your valve or any other implanted device. Sternal wires are okay for you as the patient but will create some void on our imaging and mess around with something we call fat saturation but there are other sequences that we can run. At our facility a breast MRI takes about 45 minutes of laying on your stomach very still so keep that in mind if you are going to have pain control issues.

Kris
 
I wanted to include the face that we take safety extremely seriously. Every year Shellock releases new information on implanted devices that are tested to field strengths over 3T. As of now 3T is the maximum field strength you would find in an out-patient facility, higher field strengths exist but are for research. We are constantly talking with manufacturers to get proper documentation for implanted devices and updating our database. Fortunately, manufactures know that they need to make MRI compatible materials. Since MRI has only been around for patients since the 80's there are older devices that are not compatible at all (and some newer ones) We do not scan patients with pacemakers unless it is life/death situation, consent is provided, electrophysiology, cardiology, and physicists need to be monitoring the situation at all times. Even these can be scanned safely under these conditions but not looked at as something we want to do routinely, I have only seen it done twice.

Kris
 
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