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Women's Imaging
Digital Mammography & High Resolution Imaging

Mammography is one of the most important weapons in the fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer will affect about one in eight women and is one of the leading causes of cancer death and morbidity. The key to successful treatment is early detection. Cancer screening must include routine monthly self-examination, annual mammography after the age of 40, annual physical examination by your doctor, as well as other more advanced imaging methods such as Breast MRI or Ultrasound in some cases.

Because the demand for digital mammography is so great, we have expanded our services by installing a Second Digital Mammography machine.

We realize how important the need is for women to have quick and convenient access to the best possible equipment, technology and expertise available.

Mammography and comprehensive breast imaging care is a real strength of Templeton Imaging. Our quality control standards are meticulous. Continuous innovation and quality improvement in breast imaging has been manifested throughout our history.

Most women don't realize how important technical quality is in mammography and how important it is to come to the same provider year in and year out. Comparison of one mammogram to another or comparison of your mammogram to other imaging methods is crucial in detecting breast cancer in many cases.

Templeton Imaging mammography is certified by the American College of Radiology and the F.D.A. In addition, our peer review processes and internal rigorous quality control standards are designed to protect your safety and ensure the quality of your exam.

In addition to mammography, we offer the full array of other breast care examinations including breast MRI, breast ultrasound, breast biopsy (ultrasound and stereotactic), Nuclear breast imaging, and pre-operative hook-wire localization procedures prior to lumpectomy. No other medical imaging practice offers a more complete array of breast care options.

How Does Mammography Work?
Your certified Templeton Imaging technologist will explain the procedure to you and answer your questions. Each breast will be compressed between plastic paddles in the mammography machine to optimize the quality of the mammogram that is then taken using low dose X-rays.

We apologize for any discomfort you experience, but breast compression is absolutely essential to obtain the best possible exam. At least two views of each breast will be obtained (except in some circumstances, where only one breast is examined). The mammograms will then be first reviewed for technical quality by the technologist, then reviewed for technical quality and interpreted by your Templeton Imaging Radiologist.

Often, additional mammographic views will be required to complete your exam. Whenever possible, these views will be obtained on the same day as your first exam, but sometimes you may be called back on another day.

If you have prior exams obtained at another institution, bring them at the time of your mammogram to help expedite your care. Make sure you let us know about any old exams performed elsewhere.

As mandated by the F.D.A., you will receive a prompt notification from us by mail regarding your mammogram results. Our note may indicate that your exam shows no abnormalities or may indicate the need for you to contact your doctor for other required tests or follow-up. In either event, you should discuss the results with your doctor. Even if your mammogram is normal, you might still have breast cancer, and you should seek other ways of evaluating any suspicious lump or other symptoms such as pain, bleeding from the nipple, retraction of the skin, or other breast changes you discover on self-examination.

Also, please don't be overly alarmed if we ask you to come back for more mammographic views or more tests. We are very careful to complete your evaluation diligently, and in most instances, these additional procedures confirm a normal examination. In other instances, however, this diligence enables the early detection of breast cancer, which is our goal.

BREAST ULTRASOUND
Breast ultrasound is generally used as an adjunct to mammography and other breast diagnostic techniques. It is not a screening exam for breast cancer, but instead is usually used to determine if a palpable nodule or nodule seen on mammograms is a cyst or solid nodule. Ultrasound is often also used to assess lumps in women under 30 years old or breast feeding women who are not candidates for mammography.

Ultrasound is a painless test that uses sound waves to create medical images. The patient lies on a comfortable exam table and a hand held device is used by a certified technologist to evaluate the area of interest. The exam may also be conducted by your Templeton Imaging radiologist and in all cases, is read and interpreted by a board-certified radiologist.

In some cases, patient may undergo ultrasound-guided biopsies of solid or cystic breast nodules. The procedure is very similar to all ultrasound-guided needle biopsy procedures and is performed by your Templeton Imaging radiologist.

STEREOTACTIC BREAST BIOPSY
This exciting new procedure was introduced in the early 1990's and offers a minimally invasive way of diagnosing a suspicious diagnostic imaging finding. Most women are candidates for this form of breast biopsy, which is as accurate as surgical breast biopsy, less costly, less painful, and lower in morbidity.

To undergo a Stereotactic biopsy, a woman is placed in a special mommography unit. Only a local anesthetic in the skin is required. A computer assists your Templeton Imaging Radiologist in guiding a special biopsy needle into the suspicious area using imaging guidance and a small X-ray dose. The procedure is brief, minimally painful, and the woman is discharged with only a Band-Aid on the breast.
The removed tissue is sent to a pathology laboratory for complete evaluation.

PRE-OPERATIVE HOOKWIRE LOCALIZATION
Hook-wire localization is a mammographically guided procedure performed to help guide a surgeon to a lump that will be surgically excised. It is done immediately before a surgical biopsy.

The procedure is performed by your Templeton Imaging radiologist after first obtaining your informed consent. A local anesthetic is injected in the appropriate location in the skin of the breast. A special needle is then placed into the breast using mammographic imaging guidance. After confirming accurate placement of the needle and adjusting its position when needed, the radiologist removes the needle leaving a soft hooked wire behind to help guide the surgeon.
The procedure is minimally painful and is associated with very minimal risks.

BREAST MRI
In the summer of 2001 we acquired a highly specialized, dedicated breast coil for our MRI machine. This is valuable in the assessment of patients with difficult mammographic and clinical exams. It is extremely valuable in helping distinguish benign and malignant lesions.
Injection of a small amount of intraveneous contrast is necessary to optimize this examination.

HYSTEROSALPINGOGRAPHY
This is a test of the uterus and fallopian tubes and is usually done to evaluate infertility. A speculum is placed in the vagina by the radiologist and a small plastic tube is introduced into the uterus. X-ray dye is then gently injected while the patient is flouroscopically observed and radiographs are taken. Cramping usually occurs while the dye is injected and lasts for a few minutes in most cases. This is an excellent way to assess the lining of the uterus and whether the tubes are open.