New digital mammography unit at Valley Regional Hospital

Annapolis Valley Health (AVH) announced in a new release today that the Valley Regional Hospital mammography unit was replaced in June with a new digital unit.

The new digital unit was fully funded by Department of Health at a cost of $800,000. AVH funded the unit renovations, including ergonomic workstations. The previous mammography unit recorded mammograms on film whereas the new unit functions much as a digital camera by recording the image to computer, which can be displayed easily.

“The digital mammography will allow us to better meet the needs of our community by increased productivity,” say Janet Knox, AVH President and CEO. “ The increased capacity is supported by a dedicated team that keeps the screening process moving so smoothly.”

Proven better than film mammography

The digital mammography’s image can now be manipulated at the computer to emphasize different aspects of the image to maximize visualization of details. This translates into better detection of early stage breast cancer.

In particular, it has proven better than film mammography at assessing dense breast tissue and seeing faint calcifications. The digital image taken with the digital mammography can be displayed within seconds of the image capture, which is an improvement over the three-minute wait previously needed per film to be developed on the older unit.

“The faster imaging is also crucial in performing biopsy procedures, which are now much more quickly completed with the digital mammography unit,” say Dr. Michael Dunn, Radiologist. “This increased speed improves confidence in obtaining a successful biopsy and reduces patient discomfort by lowering the total time spent in the machine.”

This increased speed improves productivity of the machine and allows more people to be examined per day. AVH have increased procedures from 500 in the month of July 2007 to 800 in July 2008. Women aged 40-49 should have annual screening, women aged 50-69 should have mammography screening at one to two year intervals if they are in good health. Women over the age of 70 should have screening mammography at one to two year intervals if they are in good health.

If you have concerns or any questions about your breast health, talk to your health care professional today.