A breast ultrasound is a painless, non-invasive examination that allows your breast imager to determine whether any changes in your breasts are benign or potentially cancerous.
The Breast Imagers at Little Silver Mammography and HerSpace use breast ultrasounds to determine the next steps when mammograms show abnormalities or as an initial screening in specific cases.
We recommend seeking an expert opinion from a dedicated New Jersey breast imager regarding an abnormal mammogram reading before undergoing a biopsy. An ultrasound may be required to make any observations. The radiologists at Little Silver Mammography and HerSpace have helped hundreds of women get the answers they need early enough to receive the appropriate treatment.
“I went to Little Silver Mammography and HerSpace for my first Mammogram, which can be a bit scary. The women there were so wonderful and made me feel very comfortable. After the results of the mammography I needed an ultrasound and they were able to do it right away— no need to wait and reschedule … It’s incredibly convenient, fast (in and out with both results in 45 minutes), and the facility is very nice and clean. I am very pleased with my experience and I highly recommend it to everyone!”
Amanda L., Google
- What Is A Breast Ultrasound?
- What Happens During A Breast Ultrasound?
- Can You Hear The Sound Waves During A Breast Ultrasound?
- What Does A Breast Ultrasound Do?
- Why Might My Doctor Order A Breast Ultrasound?
- Pre And Post-Examination Care
- What Happens If My Breast Ultrasound Finds An Atypical Result?
- FAQs
- Why Us?
- Get In Touch
What Is A Breast Ultrasound?
Breast ultrasound is an imaging technique that takes images of the breasts using medical ultrasonography. Sometimes ultrasounds are done alongside annual mammograms, and other times alone for patients needing further or non-ionizing radiation screening.
What Happens During A Breast Ultrasound?
Before your breast ultrasound, our New Jersey radiologists will apply a clear, warm gel to the area of your breasts for imaging. We remove the gel once we have all the necessary images.
During a breast ultrasound, reconstructed sound waves are reflected into a computer from the breast tissues to generate images of portions of the breast. To take these images, our New Jersey breast imaging specialists move a transducer device, similar to a wand, over your breasts. The transducer picks up sound waves that bounce off your breast tissue and turns them into images of the inside of your breasts.
Breast ultrasound does not use contrast dye, so anyone with dye allergies can safely get them.
Can You Hear The Sound Waves During A Breast Ultrasound?
The sound waves during a breast ultrasound are very high-pitched and not heard by the human ear, so there’s no need to worry about loud sounds during the screening.
What Does A Breast Ultrasound Do?
Ultrasounds allow our NJ breast imagers use sound waves to look at the inside of your breasts to find and assess potential problems. They can determine if an abnormality is a cyst filled with fluid or a solid tumor and, if it is a tumor, whether it’s benign or malignant.
Why Might My Doctor Order A Breast Ultrasound?
Your doctor may recommend a breast ultrasound as an addition to your annual screening mammogram if you are considered high risk for breast cancer, have dense breasts, or have breast implants.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a breast ultrasound is usually necessary when you notice changes during a mammogram or when you feel abnormalities that are not visible.
Another reason your doctor may recommend a breast ultrasound is if a lump is discovered in your breast to determine if it is cancerous or benign.
Breast ultrasound is an ideal primary evaluation of breast abnormalities in patients younger than 25 or pregnant women as it does not use ionizing radiation, unlike CT scans and X-rays. Studies have shown an increase in the cancer detection rate of 20-30% in this population of women when combining ultrasound with screening mammography. Ask your referring physician and the breast imagers at Little Silver Mammography and HerSpace if you meet the criteria for this study.
Pre And Post-Examination Care
- Before your examination, we will provide you with a detailed consent form. Please read the form carefully to ensure you are comfortable with the procedure, and contact us if you have any questions.
- Before your examination, please share any previous results with us that may be relevant to your screening.
- There is no need to stop eating or drinking for any period before your screening.
- On the day of your screening, we ask that you not put any lotions or powders on your breasts.
- Please wear clothing that is easy to remove and allows easy access to your chest area for your radiologist. Although the gel does not stain, we recommend wearing clothes you are not worried about getting gel on.
- Before your screening, we will ask you to remove any jewelry or clothing from the waist up. We will then provide you with a gown to wear.
What Happens If My Breast Ultrasound Finds An Atypical Result?
If a breast ultrasound finds an abnormal result, depending on the type of abnormality, the next step is routine follow-up, short interval follow-up, aspiration, or biopsy. A biopsy will determine if the atypical result is atypical hyperplasia or abnormal cells, which requires surgical removal.
FAQs
Can You Detect Breast Cancer With An Ultrasound?
Breast ultrasound can detect potential breast cancers, but it cannot make the final diagnosis, as while it can determine if lumps are solid, it cannot determine whether or not they are cancerous. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, it can accurately detect about 80% of breast cancers.
What Does Breast Cancer Look Like On An Ultrasound?
Potentially cancerous tumors, which are solid, will appear as a darker patch on the otherwise light-colored tissue surrounding it. Darkened areas do not always indicate breast cancer.
Does Insurance Cover A Breast Ultrasound?
According to the New Jersey Department of Health, insurance companies must, by New Jersey law, cover the cost of “breast evaluations and other additional medically- necessary testing under certain circumstances.” Including, if specifically requested by your doctor or having extremely dense breast tissue.
What Are The Risks Associated With Breast Ultrasound?
Breast ultrasound is a very safe procedure with no radiation risks or risks to pregnant women, but as with any treatment, there are potential complications.
Breast ultrasounds have a chance of missing small lumps or solid tumors. Ultrasounds may be less accurate if you’re obese or have exceedingly large breasts.
Breast ultrasound can pose risks if you have specific health conditions, so please inform our NJ breast imagers of any concerns you may have. Before proceeding with any screening, we will ask for your medical history.
Why Us?
Our team at Little Silver Mammography and HerSpace has helped put hundreds of women at ease as we pursue the clinical objective of detecting and diagnosing breast cancer at its earliest, most curable stage.
We recommend thorough research to find radiologists and technologists with excellent reputations, relevant qualifications, and glowing reviews. You can read some of our ‘real patient’ testimonials here!