What is Mammography?
Mammography is a specific type of imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system for examination of the breasts. The images of the breasts can be viewed on film at a view box or as soft copy on a digital mammography work station. Most medical experts agree that successful treatment of breast cancer often is linked to early diagnosis. Mammography plays a central part in early detection of breast cancers because it can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or physician can feel them. Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recommend screening mammography every year for women, beginning at age 40.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) adds that women who have had breast cancer and those who are at increased risk due to a genetic history of breast cancer should seek expert medical advice about whether they should begin screening before age 40 and about the frequency of screening.

We are accredited by the American College of Radiology. All of our mammography technologists are certified in mammography.

What are some common uses of the procedure?
Mammography is used to aid in the diagnosis of breast diseases in women. Screening mammography can assist your physician in the detection of disease even if you have no complaints or symptoms.

Initial mammographic images themselves are not always enough to determine the existence of a benign or malignant disease with certainty. If a finding or spot seems suspicious, or you have dense breast tissue, your radiologist may recommend further diagnostic studies.

Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) Certification
On October 1, 1994, the United States Congress approved the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) that requires mammography facilities to adhere to strict quality standards. MQSA was created by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and requires any facility that provides mammograms to: be accredited by the FDA or an FDA-approved accreditation body, be certified by the FDA or the State, receive annual MQSA inspections, and display its FDA certification in a prominent area. Valley Open MRI & Diagnostic Center ia a certified and accredited imaging facility.

GE Senographe DMR+ Mammography Unit
Our mammography equipment provides unsurpassed image quality with a minimized radiation does. Ultrasound equipment allows us to more accurately distinguish structures within the breast. Abnormalities not clearly seem mammographically can be evaluated more accurately using ultrasound.

A thorough, medically sound mammogram, requires the breast to be compressed as much as is tolerable by the patient in order to make the breast tissue as uniform in thickness as possible. This technique permits the clearest possible imagining of the internal structures of the breast, which enhances the ability to see differences in tissue density.

Our mammography machine facilitates the fine adjustment in the pressure of the compression and we offer the option of using compression pads to increase comfort. Our technicians are certified mammographers who are very sensitive regarding your comfort. They will do everything they can to ensure your comfort while meeting the clinical protocols established to achieve the highest quality images possible, which, in the final analysis, is the most important factor to your health.