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Spa-Like Facilities

Texas Health offers a calming, spa-like environment for patients prior to their mammograms. Many centers have refreshment areas, soothing music, private changing areas, comfortable lounges and valet parking.

Balancing Technology and Comfort

Physicians on the medical staff will recommend the type of procedure that is most comfortable for you, while providing the images needed for a diagnosis. Many of the centers have curved paddles and comfort pads available, if one should be desired during your procedure.

Quick Results

Typically, you are contacted as soon as possible with your mammogram results. Texas Health understands that your results will determine your next steps, and if needed, we want to arm you with important information quickly.

A Convenient Experience

Texas Health offers a unique experience that is tailored for your convenience. With 18 locations around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, we make it easy for you to be proactive about your breast health.

• If you’re a new patient, please bring the films from previous mammograms with you or have them delivered prior to your appointment.
• Wear a two-piece outfit for ease of imaging.
• Do not wear deodorant, powder, body oils or cologne.
• Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to be left alone in the waiting areas.
• Cell phone usage is not allowed in the exam rooms.

3D screening mammograms are the preferred type of exam at Texas Health Breast Centers. With a 3D mammogram, the machine takes images of the breast from multiple angles. A computer then creates a 3D image of the breast that the radiologist can examine like pages in a book. Additional benefits include:

• Improves radiologists' ability to screen for and detect potential breast cancers.
• Helps radiologists pinpoint size, shape and location of abnormalities.
• Aids in distinguishing harmless abnormalities from real tumors, leading to fewer callbacks and less anxiety for women.

3D mammograms can also find microcalcifications (tiny deposits of calcium) that sometimes indicate the presence of breast cancer.

If you have had a mammogram before, you will likely not notice a difference with the exam. During the exam each of your breasts will be compressed between two plates for a few seconds. The breasts will gradually be pressed, and you will be asked to adjust you position several times to take different images. Each breast will be compressed a minimum of two times.

Does My Insurance Cover 3D?

Yes, most insurance plans cover 3D mammography, thanks to Texas House Bill 1036. There are some exceptions, so please verify with your insurance company before the appointment.

If You Are Called Back for Additional Testing

It is fairly routine to receive a request to come back for additional mammogram images or an ultrasound. These additional images may be necessary in order for the radiologist to complete the interpretation of your exam.

A 2D mammogram only takes images of the front and side of the breast, which often overlaps the tissues and can hide certain indicators of cancer. During the 3D portion of the mammogram, images are taken from multiple angles to create a more comprehensive picture of the breast for the radiologists to examine like the pages of a book.

During the exam, your breast will be placed between two paddles and progressively adjusted and compressed. The compression may be uncomfortable but should not be painful. If you are in pain, please let the technologist know.

Curved Comfort Paddles

Many of the Texas Health Breast Centers offer a curved paddle which mirrors the shape of a woman’s breast. This shape allows the compression to be uniform across the entire breast and reduces the discomfort that may occur as your position is adjusted.

Comfort Pads

Many of the breast centers also offer a cushion pad that is placed on the lower portion of the machine to create a warmer, more comfortable experience.

The timing can vary but generally:

• After a screening mammogram, the results will be available in the MyChart app, and they will be mailed to you.
• After a diagnostic mammogram, you will receive your results before you leave your appointment.
• After a biopsy, your ordering provider will receive results within two days after your procedure.

Typically, diagnostic mammograms are recommended for women who:

• Have experienced issues, such as lumps, nipple discharge or other changes.
• Experience persistent pain in their breasts, not related to menstrual cycle.
• Were diagnosed with breast cancer within the last five years.
• Experience a problem while pregnant or breastfeeding.

What Happens During a Diagnostic Exam?

A diagnostic mammogram may take longer than a screening mammogram. The technologist may magnify a suspicious area to produce a detailed picture that can help the radiologist make an accurate diagnosis. Before you leave the center, the radiologist will review the images and discuss the findings with you.

At times, mammography alone is not enough. Your provider may also request a breast ultrasound, or sonogram, which is a noninvasive procedure that uses sound waves to produce images of the breast.

Why Is this Additional Procedure Necessary?

Typically, a breast ultrasound is performed in with a mammogram. A breast ultrasound can distinguish a generally harmless fluid-filled cyst from a potentially concerning solid mass. It is also used to evaluate whether a solid mass is benign or appears to be malignant.

What Happens during the Procedure?

You will lay on your back on a table and a technologist will apply a warm water-based gel onto your breast. Then the technologist will move a device back and forth over the area of interest to take the sonogram pictures.

A breast biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure that takes a very small sample of breast tissue for examination under a microscope.

Types of Biopsies

• Ultrasound-guided biopsy — uses ultrasound equipment to “see” and direct the needle to the area where the biopsy is needed.
• Stereotactic biopsy — uses a digital mammography system with a computer display and software to guide a needle to the area where samples of tissue will be taken.
• MRI-guided biopsy — uses a MRI machine to guide the breast radiologist to the area of concern. Typically, this procedure is not performed inside the breast centers.