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Katy,
Texas, March 25, 2008 – Digital mammography has moved west to Katy. The city’s first digital mammography unit is now housed at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in the outpatient imaging center.
Recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), digital mammography is a fairly new method for imaging the breasts. It is particularly recommended for women who are under the age of 50 or who have very dense breast tissue at any age. Women who have a family history of breast cancer should also consider being evaluated using digital mammography.
“A study (DMIST) published by the National Cancer Institute in 2005 found that digital mammography may benefit women who are under 50, pre- or peri-menopausal or have dense breasts,” said Terence O’Connor, M.D., Chief Radiologist, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital. “Women in Katy who meet these specific criteria should consider scheduling a digital mammogram for their next and subsequent visits.”
While an X-ray beam is still used to penetrate the breast tissue, rather than placing the image on film, digital mammography displays the image on a computer screen and stores it electronically on an optical disk. Additionally, with digital mammography, the magnification, orientation, brightness, and contrast of the mammogram image can be altered after the exam is completed to help the radiologist more clearly see certain areas of the breast.
Other advantages of digital mammography over conventional film mammography include:
- Images are available immediately
- Images can be stored digitally and transmitted instantaneously to a physician’s office or other facilities
- Digital mammography uses a lower average radiation dose without compromising diagnostic accuracy
- Patients experience shorter exam times
To schedule a digital mammogram at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, call 281-644-7180. For more information on Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, visit www.memorialhermann.org.
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About the Memorial Hermann System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading edge technology, and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 19,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a level 1 trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates an air ambulance, cancer, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a Wellness Center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org, or call 713-222-CARE.
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