Digital Mammography

SMIL offers digital mammography exams to detect abnormalities in the breasts. Digital mammography is a system in which the x-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert x-rays into electrical signals. These detectors are similar to those found in digital cameras. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breasts that can be seen on a computer screen or printed on film similar to mammograms you may have had in the past.

The patient experience during a digital mammography is the same as regular mammography. The computer aided detection of digital mammography allows SMIL’s radiologists to view clearer images of the breasts. Digital mammography can improve detection of breast cancer in some women. The digital technology available through digital mammography allows for more computerized analysis of a breast exam than was possible with film mammography. Digital mammography also benefits younger women with dense breast tissue, when density sometimes makes it harder to detect tumors.

Learn more about how to prepare for a digital mammography scan in our preparations for digital mammography scan section.

Find out if a digital mammography scan is right for you in the benefits and risks of digital mammography scan section.

For a downloadable/printable PDF about this exam with preparation instructions click here.