Mammograms Are Now More Comfortable
Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield bring MammoPad to Bakersfield
The Women's Imaging Center at Mercy Southwest Hospital has introduced MammoPad®, a product that dramatically eases the discomfort some women feel when they get a mammogram. The hope is to increase the number of area women who follow recommendations for regular screenings.
The discomfort many women feel during mammography compression is widely known to be a reason that some don't get regular screenings. In addition to compression, the cold surfaces and hard edges of the mammography device make the experience uncomfortable for some patients.
MammoPad answers these complaints by providing a soft warm cushion for the breast during mammography. The FDA-cleared foam cushion is applied to the compression plates of the mammography machine and provides a more comfortable surface for the exam. And because women are more relaxed during the exam, it is easier for mammography technologists to get the best possible image. The recyclable breast cushion is "invisible" to X-rays and does not interfere with the image quality of the mammogram.
MammoPad has been clinically studied in both the U.S. and Sweden, where evaluations in more than 1,300 patients found approximately 70 percent experienced a significant reduction in pain when the cushion was used.
Mercy's Women's Imaging Center is Bakersfield's only certified Softer Mammogram Provider®. For more information on MammoPad or to schedule your mammogram with MammoPad, please call Mercy’s Women’s Imaging Center at 663-6429.
