to call it Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but I think a lot of people thought, me? Think

about cancer? This month? I don't think so. So they worked in the term Breast Health Awareness

Month so that more of us would think proactively about taking good care of ourselves instead

of being scared of the word cancer.

So October is the month where you see lots of 10K's, lots of mobile mammogram units,

and lots of fundraising efforts in an attempt to raise more money for breast cancer research,

but also to encourage women to have regular mammograms.

Between the ages of 35 and 40, your doctor's going to recommend that you have a mammogram.

The thought is still out on how old you should be when you go, so you'll see them recommended

it anywhere in that range, from 35 to 40. However, in our specialty, breast augmentation,

Dr. Tebbetts wants every woman who's thinking about changing the landscape of her breasts,

whether it's an implant, a mastopexy, or a breast reduction to have a baseline mammogram,

30 and older, so that there's a clean, pretty picture of the breast before we operate on

that breast.

That way, when it's time for you to have regular mammograms, there's a clean, pretty picture,

or that baseline, to compare back to. We always recommend that our patients not only send

the report to us, their plastic surgeon, but also send it to your ObGyn or your internist

as well. That way, your records are kept in more than just one place. It's just good business.

I think mammograms have gotten a really bad rap over the last several years, maybe all

their lives, everybody's always heard how terrible a mammogram is. I had my first mammogram

before my implants 14 years ago, and I was scared too, but honestly, it was really nothing.

I think it's more of a mental thing because you worry about having to bare it all to some

stranger and then having them push and pull on you a little bit. I mean, it's awkward.

You feel a little bit vulnerable, but it's certainly not painful. And if you get a good

tech, they make you feel really comfortable and at ease, and in no time, literally 15

minutes, it's over.

So 15 minutes of awkward to safe your life? Yeah, I think that's worth it. So don't let

the rumors scare you off because it's really not that bad.

Now once you've had breast implants and you hit 40, then you'll have to go have a mammogram

every year, and a lot of times, I think patients are scared to have the tests done with implants.

They're worried about what a mammogram might do to their implants. Don't let that scare

you either because, again, it's really nothing. They'll view the regular mammogram views,

and then they'll also do something called the Eklund technique, or the mammogram techs

often call it push-back views. It's literally where they're taking the regular views of

the mammogram and then they're pushing your breast tissue away from the implant so that

they can image around the implant. A radiologist needs those views to truly get a good picture

of what your breast is like because neither saline or silicone implants are radiolucent.

You can't X-ray through them, so they have to image around them, and that's what those

push-back views allow them to do.

I think the most important thing about having a mammogram with implants is that you have

to tell them you have implants. A lot of times, they don't know. You'll write it on your intake

paperwork, but make sure to tell the tech when you meet her as well so that mammograms are used to detect breast cancer,

but if you have breast implants, they can also give you a sneak peek at how your implants

are doing too. So whenever I go in for my regular screenings, I always pray that there's

no hint of breast cancer, but I also hope that they can see the edges of my implants

and see an intact breast implant too. So keeping up with your regular screenings is also important

to your breast implant health.

So this month, when you see all the pink ribbons, and you see the 10Ks going on, and you see

those mobile mammogram trucks, let those be an inspiration to you. Don't let them scare

you. Call and make your mammogram appointment today. If you'd like to learn more about breast

augmentation, breast implants, and breast health, visit our website, thebestbreast.com.