Digital Mammography – The Latest in Breast Imaging

Mount Sinai offers the latest in breast imaging procedures: digital mammography. This FDA-approved technology uses electronics instead of film to record a mammogram. The advantage of this technology is that it may be able to detect breast cancers more accurately compared to the current standard, film mammography.

The digital mammography examination seems nearly identical to the standard film mammography examination. Digital mammography uses a computer instead of film to make a mammogram, and it allows the physician to zoom in, magnify, and optimize different parts of the mammogram. Thus breast tissue may be examined more closely without having to take an additional image.

A certified radiologic technologist conducts the examination. Each examination is interpreted by a board-certified radiologist with special expertise in mammography. The digital exam, like the standard film exam, typically consists of two images of each breast. Additional images may be obtained during the exam. The digital mammogram takes approximately 30 minutes. Patients experience the same discomfort during a digital mammogram as a regular screen-film mammogram.

The patient's doctor is informed if a suspicious finding appears on the digital examination as with the standard film examination. This may require additional follow-up including exams, biopsies, or other tests.