You should be aware that breast implants will shadow some areas of the breast, and might interfere with mammography which assists in the early detection of breast cancer.
Mammograms are generally safe for women with implants and should be done every two years after the age of 40. It is more difficult though, and additional mammographic views, are often required, meaning more time and radiation.
You will need to inform the mammography technician that you have breast implants, so that appropriate mammogram studies can be obtained.
Women with capsular contracture may find mammograms painful, and the difficulty of breast imaging with mammography will increase with the extent of contracture.
There is an extremely small chance that the pressure placed on the implants by the machine during the mammogram could cause the implants to rupture or break. The incidence of implant rupture during mammography increases with the age of the implant.
It may be necessary to undergo further or alternative methods of screening, such as ultrasound or MRI.
