October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to make sure your own screening plan is actually up to date. Getting mammograms with breast implants requires a different approach than standard screening. It does not mean skipping the exam or putting it off. Implants change how a radiologist images the breast, not whether screening is possible. At Modern Surgical Arts of Denver, we prepare our patients for what that difference looks like in the exam room, and a Denver-area mammography facility experienced with implant patients can image the full breast around them.
How Breast Implants Change What a Mammogram Sees
Breast implants are radiopaque. They appear solid and white on a standard X-ray image, similar to bone. Positioned directly behind or in front of the chest muscle, an implant can block the mammography machine’s view of the surrounding breast tissue. Standard compression views alone often cannot capture the full breast when an implant sits in the frame, so the exam has to be performed differently.
The Eklund Technique: How Technologists Image Around Implants
Radiologists address this limitation with a specialized approach called the Eklund displacement technique, first described by Dr. George Eklund in 1988 and now standard practice at many imaging centers. The technique displaces the implant toward the chest wall while pulling the natural breast tissue forward, positioning tissue for compression separately from the implant. It takes a practiced hand: moving the implant safely while still capturing usable images requires a technologist who has done this before.
How Many Extra Views Does a Mammogram With Implants Need?
Patients with implants usually receive more images per breast than a standard screening mammogram, combining conventional compression views with displacement views to cover as much tissue as possible. Budget extra time for the appointment. More images, not fewer, is the goal.
Preparing for a Mammogram With Breast Implants
A few steps separate a routine appointment from a potentially frustrating one. Tell the facility about your implants when you schedule, which gives the front desk time to book an adequate slot and assign a technologist experienced with displacement views. Bring your implant details along with you, or ask your surgeon’s office for a summary: implant type (saline or silicone), placement (submuscular or subglandular), and the date of your surgery all help the radiologist plan your exam and interpret the images correctly. If you had your procedure with us, our team can pull those details from your surgical record and send them over before your appointment.
It is also worth confirming the facility’s experience with implant patients before you go. Not every mammography center across the Denver metro performs displacement views regularly, and one that images augmented breasts routinely will move through the exam with less repositioning and fewer callbacks.
Screening Mammograms vs. Implant Rupture Monitoring: Two Different Schedules
A screening mammogram checks for cancer. A rupture-screening MRI or ultrasound checks whether the implant itself is still intact. The two get mixed up often, but one doesn’t cover for the other.
How Often Should You Get a Mammogram With Breast Implants?
Having breast implants does not change your recommended mammogram schedule for cancer screening. Follow the screening interval your physician recommends based on your age and personal risk factors, the same guidance that applies regardless of implant status.
Silicone Implant Rupture Screening: MRI and Ultrasound Timeline
Silicone implants require monitoring for an unrelated reason: detecting a rupture in the implant shell, which can happen without any noticeable symptoms. The FDA recommends an initial ultrasound or MRI 5 to 6 years after silicone implant surgery, then every 2 to 3 years after that. Saline implants skip this step. A saline implant rupture causes visible, immediate deflation, so imaging often isn’t needed to catch it.
A normal mammogram result does not substitute for a scheduled rupture-screening MRI or ultrasound. They’re checking for different things, on different clocks. If imaging does turn up a rupture, or if your implants are simply aging out, breast implant revision is a straightforward next conversation rather than an emergency.
Choosing a Surgeon Who Documents Your Implant Details
The information a radiologist needs at your mammogram — implant type, placement, and surgery date — starts with the surgeon who placed the implants. Dr. Kamran Dastoury is a double board-certified cosmetic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Maxillofacial Surgery, and these details are documented as a standard part of your surgical record at Modern Surgical Arts of Denver. That means the information is ready whenever you schedule a screening appointment, even decades later.
If you are still deciding on implant type or placement and want to understand how each choice may affect future imaging, raise it during your breast augmentation consultation alongside questions about size, profile, and incision technique. Our Vectra XT 3D imaging system lets you see how different implant sizes and placements would look on your own frame, so those decisions get made with real information rather than guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a mammogram if I have breast implants?
Yes. Implants do not disqualify a patient from mammogram screening or make the exam unsafe. It just takes a specialized technique and, usually, more images.
Do breast implants hide cancer on a mammogram?
An implant can obscure some breast tissue on a standard view, which is why displacement views exist. Combining standard and displacement views at an experienced facility is meant to capture what a standard exam alone would miss.
How many mammogram views do implant patients need?
More than a standard screening mammogram, usually pairing conventional compression views with Eklund displacement views for each breast. The exact count depends on the facility’s protocol and your anatomy.
Do saline implants need the same monitoring as silicone implants?
No. The FDA’s rupture-screening recommendation, MRI or ultrasound starting 5 to 6 years after surgery, applies to silicone implants only. Saline rupture is usually obvious without imaging.
Does implant placement affect how easy a mammogram is to perform?
Submuscular placement (behind the chest muscle) generally allows more natural breast tissue to be pulled forward for displacement views. Subglandular placement (in front of the muscle, behind the breast tissue) can be somewhat harder to image, though displacement techniques work with either placement.
Can a mammogram rupture your breast implants?
It’s rare. The FDA lists mammogram compression among the possible causes of implant rupture, but a peer-reviewed review of FDA adverse-event data found implant-related complications during mammography are minimal even as implant volumes have grown. The displacement technique itself helps: the technologist moves the implant out of the compression field before imaging, so the pressure falls mainly on breast tissue, not the implant.
Does a mammogram hurt more if you have breast implants?
This varies by patient. Implants can make breast tissue feel firmer, which some patients notice as more pressure during compression. Tell the technologist if anything feels uncomfortable; compression can be adjusted, and an experienced technologist will already be working to apply only what’s needed for a clear image.
Can an ultrasound replace a mammogram if you have implants?
No. Mammography remains the standard for detecting microcalcifications, tiny calcium deposits that can be an early sign of cancer, and ultrasound is not reliable for finding them. Ultrasound plays a supporting role, useful for dense tissue or following up on a specific finding, but it does not substitute for a screening mammogram.
What age should you start getting mammograms if you have breast implants?
The USPSTF’s current guidance calls for screening every two years starting at age 40 for women at average risk, and implants do not move that age earlier or later. Personal risk factors, not implant status, are what might change your recommended starting age.
I had my implants placed years ago. Can you still find my implant records?
In most cases, yes. If your surgery was performed at our Highlands Ranch practice, call us at 720-796-9307 and our team can look up your implant type, placement, and surgery date so you have them in hand for your appointment.
Talk With a Denver Cosmetic Surgeon About Your Breast Implants
Whether you are preparing for your first breast augmentation or want to understand how to plan mammograms around implants you already have, Dr. Dastoury can walk you through what to expect. Modern Surgical Arts of Denver serves patients from Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Lone Tree, Parker, Centennial, Englewood, Castle Rock, and throughout the Denver metro, with all surgical procedures performed at our AAAHC-accredited on-site surgical center.
Dr. Kamran Dastoury
Dr. Kamran Dastoury is a double board-certified cosmetic surgeon with advanced training in both maxillofacial and aesthetic surgery, bringing unmatched expertise to every patient he serves. After earning his dental and medical degrees from USC and LSU, he went on to complete over seven years of intensive surgical training, including a fellowship in facial and body cosmetic surgery under the mentorship of world-renowned leaders in the field. His specialties include facelifts, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, liposuction, and body contouring—always delivered with a highly personalized approach that prioritizes safety, artistry, and natural-looking results. In 2025, Dr. Dastoury also completed his SSRP peptide therapy certification, expanding his knowledge of innovative approaches to aesthetic and wellness care. Beyond his surgical excellence, Dr. Dastoury is deeply committed to advancing the field through research, teaching, and global mission work, making him a trusted and compassionate choice for patients seeking transformative results.