By Andria Barrios
The care patients receive at the Women’s Diagnostic Center in Brandon is often noted to be exceptional, but recently, this center has added a new 3D technology to even greater enhance this care and experience.
Originally founded in 1988, the Women’s Diagnostic Center will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in the coming year. However, earlier this year a new 3D Mammography System with Breast Tomosynthesis was installed. Unlike the typical two dimensional mammography, which can hide some small cancer spots, this new technology acquires multiple images at different angles which are combined to form a three dimensional rendering.
“These images are presented to the Radiologist in one millimeter slices which allows the Radiologist to look through the tissue as opposed to at it. This technology reduces the effects of overlapping tissue found in traditional mammography and is especially beneficial for patients who have dense tissue,” elaborates staff member John Parker III. He also explains that this center has seen many positive results, such as a decrease of fifty percent in call backs for additional imaging and a reduction in both false positives and false negatives.
Because this new system is not yet covered by Medicare and other insurance companies, the Women’s Diagnostic Center simply bills the insurance company for a traditional two dimensional mammogram, and the collects a nominal fee of $50 from the patient. “I would be more than happy to waive the upcharge for patients who opt to have a 3D mammogram as a result of reading your article in the Osprey Observer,” Parker announces.
This new system also only takes four seconds more than the traditional system and is performed under the same compression, so women trying this out have nothing to lose.
The Women’s Diagnostic Center is unlike the typical women’s care center. With its independently owned business, exclusive to women patients and technologists, this center keeps the patient’s best interest in mind, while providing both helpful and agreeable service. Not only does this organization provide high quality mammography, but ultrasounds, breast biopsies and bone density services are also available.
For more information, visit www.womensdiag.com or call 684-5144. The Women’s Diagnostic Center is located at 1357 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon.
