Some Backyards Have a Garden. Yours Has a Nationally Renowned Health System.
Terrebonne General Health System has a Women’s Imaging and Breast
Center focused on patient comfort. From the welcoming atmosphere to the
cotton robes replacing paper or cloth exam gowns, our mission here is
more significant: to care for the whole patient.
The center offers bone densitometry scans, digital mammography, core breast
biopsies, Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI), breast needle localizations,
ultrasound, and an array of mammography and other breast imaging techniques.
The Women’s Imaging and Breast Center is the first facility to offer
BSGI technology in the Tri-Parish and New Orleans regions. This technology
is located on the 1st floor of the Women’s Center with its own waiting
room, dressing room, and exam rooms.
Although no woman anticipates she will get breast cancer, the truth is about
1 in every 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Most breast cancer patients did not inherit the disease from their mothers;
rather, it can develop from a random genetic mutation that develops and
spreads, often beyond the breast tissue and sometimes into tissues much
further in the body. The Women’s Imaging and Breast Center is recognized
as the first comprehensive breast care center in the region. The center
is certified by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA)/Mammogram Quality Standards Act (MQSA), but
that’s not why the people who work there are most proud of it. For
them, it’s all about the patients.
Mammography
A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray used to detect breast cancer. The breast
is compressed using paddles so a technologist can get a picture of the
tissue. The picture can show abnormal cells or other signs of cancer.
Terrebonne General uses digital mammography in which the images are immediately
saved on a computer as digital images instead of being printed on film.
The benefits of digital mammography include:
It provides greater contrast for better detection of lesions.
Procedure times are faster.
It allows the technologist to enlarge an area in question.
It allows the images to be sent electronically.
To make this procedure as comfortable as possible, Terrebonne General has
invested in a product called the “mammopad.” The mammopad
is a foam cushion placed between the patient’s breast and the compression
paddle of the mammography unit. Not only does it make the machine feel
warmer, but it also allows the technologist to better position the breast
tissue for a better picture.
3D Mammography
GE’s SenoClaire digital breast tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography,
provides three-dimensional imaging technology that uses a low-dose, short
X-ray sweep around the compressed breast.
This imaging technique is designed to separate the tissues and to reduce
the overlapping of structures, which is a limiting factor in standard
2D mammography. Women undergoing a tomosynthesis screening can expect
a similar experience as a traditional 2D mammography. Tomosynthesis can
also be performed on women with dense breasts in which cancer detection
can be challenging. With SenoClaire, there is greater clarity in breast
tissue screenings allowing Terrebonne General physicians to detect cancer
earlier. Ask your physician if a SenoClaire screening would benefit you.
Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS) for Dense Breasts
Invenia ABUS breast cancer screening is specifically developed to help
doctors find cancers hidden in dense breast tissue, which may be missed
by mammography. The procedure can be done in conjunction with your recommended
annual mammogram.
The screening takes approximately 15 minutes, and provides your physician
with clear 3D ultrasound images of the breast. Unlike 2D or 3D mammography,
ABUS uses sound waves to create 3D images of the breast tissue. ABUS is
the only FDA-approved breast cancer screening system when used in combination
with mammography in women who have dense breast tissue and no prior interventions.
Ask your physician if an ABUS screening would benefit you.
When Should I Have a Mammogram?
Quickly diagnosing cancer in its earliest stages often results in better
treatment outcomes. Mammograms are a critical tool in the early detection
of breast cancer. Women aged 40+ should have a mammogram every year. Once
a patient visits Terrebonne General’s Woman’s Imaging and
Breast Center she will receive a result letter. Reminder cards are also
mailed prompting patients to schedule their annual mammogram.
Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI)
If the radiologist identifies an area of concern from the mammogram, the
patient may need to return for additional mammography images, a breast
ultrasound, a BSGI scan or a biopsy. In BSGI a patient is injected with
radioactive material and her breasts scanned using a special nuclear camera.
This technology will act as a powerful follow-up tool in cases where a
mammogram has highlighted a suspicious mass. It can also be used for women
with dense breast tissue or multiple areas of calcification. In some cases,
using BSGI can eliminate or confirm the need for biopsy.
Other Types of Biopsies
Terrebonne General offers a few different options for a biopsy. Needle
localization is a type of biopsy in which the radiologist inserts a needle
into the suspicious area. The patient is then taken to surgery for her
surgeon to remove the questionable area. Another type of biopsy is a core
biopsy, when the radiologist and surgeon have determined the suspicious
area may be removed without surgery. This entire procedure is done within
the Women’s Imaging and Breast Center. There is no anesthesia involved,
so the patient may leave right after the procedure.
Terrebonne General also offers ultrasound-guided biopsy and stereotactic
biopsy. A stereotactic-guided biopsy and/or needle localization is a procedure
using a digital stereotactic mammo-machine, which takes 2D images of the
breast tissue. It then calculates exactly where the radiologist or surgeon
should insert the biopsy needle to get the best sample of tissue for review.
Although ultrasounds are usually associated with pregnancy, they can also
be used to help with a breast tissue biopsy. Terrebonne General has an
ultrasound technologist certified in breast ultrasonography and is one
of only 66 certified in the state.
Ultrasound
Terrebonne General’s ultrasound machine is not just used for breast
care. It can take 3-dimensional images for a good look at any suspicious
area in a woman’s body. Ultrasounds can be used to scan the pelvis,
thyroid, or other parts of the body to look for abnormalities. These cutting-edge
imaging machines can give you a picture of a developing baby or help doctors
diagnose cysts and tumors with incredible accuracy.
Bone Density
While at the Imaging Center, a woman can also have her bone mineral density
measured. A bone densitometer can tell if a patient has enough calcium
in her bones. This will help diagnose osteoporosis, a disease that can
lead to brittle bones and dangerous fractures in older women. A bone density
test is a painless procedure, much like an X-ray, and takes only a few minutes.
The procedure consists of a patient lying on a padded table. The lumbar
spine and both hips are scanned with X-rays for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.
The test uses special x-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and
other minerals are packed into a segment or portion of the bone.
Women older than 65 who have family history of osteoporosis and with some
medical conditions should have the test. Many women choose to have a mammogram
and bone density scan done during the same visit.
Appointments are available through primary care doctors or calling Terrebonne
General at
(985) 850-6052.
There is a soft cotton robe waiting just for you.
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