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BREAST CARE PATIENT INFORMATION

BREAST CARE PATIENT INFORMATION Beacon Hospital s Breast Centre offers a complete breast care service comprised of everything from diagnostics to treatment plans for breast disease and all related elements including diagnostic imaging breast surgery medical and radiation oncology support inpatient care physiotherapy pain management and reconstructive surgical options Our team of experienced Breast Surgeons and specialist breast care nurses work as part of a multidisciplinary team to offer our patients unparalleled care throughout their journey Located on the hospital s ground floor Beacon Hospital s Breast Centre runs twice weekly triple assessment clinics for patients experiencing breast abnormalities What is a Triple Assessment Clinic Upon your appointment at the triple assessment clinic your Consultant will discuss with you any symptoms medical history and perform a breast examination This is the first step in triple assessment The second and third steps will be carried out if your Consultant s findings indicate that these steps are required These steps are delivered in accordance with the National Quality Assurance for Symptomatic Breast Disease and the HIQA standards Step two of triple assessment involves diagnostic imaging of the breasts In women over 35 this is usually a digital mammogram In those under the age of 35 a breast ultrasound is performed Step three of triple assessment includes a core biopsy and or a fine needle aspiration if indicated

Why do Some Patients Receive a Mammogram While Others Receive a Breast Ultrasound In women over the age of 35 a digital mammogram is the most common form of diagnostic imaging used Breast tissue in women under the age of 35 is more dense and as such a breast ultrasound is preferable to a mammogram in these women What is a Mammogram A mammogram is an X ray of the breasts which allows your specialist to look at both sides of the breast Your mammogram will be performed by one of our specialist radiographers who will take two images of each breast one from the front and one from the side

In order to obtain a high quality image your breast must be compressed flattened Although uncomfortable this will not harm the breast and will only last a very short time Compressing of the breast has the added benefit of lowering the dose of radiation required to produce the image What is a Breast Ultrasound There are circumstances where a breast ultrasound may be used outside of this patient category Breast ultrasounds are most commonly used to examine breasts of women under the age of 35 as their breast tissue is often too dense for mammogram to give an accurate picture Women over the age of 35 may have an ultrasound carried out to examine a specific area of abnormality which has come to light on their mammogram What is a Biopsy A biopsy is when a small tissue sample is removed from the body for analysis in the laboratory During a breast biopsy the area of abnormality is numbed using a local anaesthetic Once sufficiently numb a hollow needle is inserted into the lump in order to remove a small core of tissue which will be sent to the lab

Results and Next Steps You will be contacted by our team to discuss your results or to arrange a follow up appointment within two weeks of your biopsy During this visit you may be reassured that no further action is required or if further action is required a proposed treatment plan will be discussed with you Should you require treatment your case will have been discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting This ensures input is given from all experts involved in your care plan prior to your follow up It allows our team to have an action plan ready for you which they will help you to understand as well as answering any questions you may have Any required treatments can be carried out within Beacon Hospital ensuring that you have a seamless patient journey with as little stress as possible How Can I Make an Appointment For further information our Breast Centre can be contacted via 01 293 8686 While a GP referral is encouraged Beacon Breast Centre may facilitate appointments for women who are symptomatic and not in possession of a GP referral Please contact the Centre for further details

Beacon Hospital Sandyford Dublin 18 D18 AK68 Tel 01 293 6600 www beaconhospital ie Version 1 10 2021