Your Appointment
Prior to your thermography, you will review your medical history with the technician. You will be asked to change into a gown. For breast scans, you will be required to remove your gown from the waist up during the imaging portion only. For a full-body scan, you will be required to remove your gown and only wear bottom underwear during the imagining portion. You change in and out of your gown in privacy.
Most scanning imaging is done in a seated position. There is standing and turning for half-body and full-body images. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your technician to discuss any accommodations. You WILL NOT be confined in tight spaces or be required to lay on a table with a technician pressing or moving a scanning device on your body. After your appointment, the technician will send the complete medical report and images to EMI (Electronic Medical Interpretation) for analysis and interpretation. We will provide you with a copy of your report and provide copies to providers of your choosing. This will allow you to review your findings with a physician of your choosing.
FOR BREAST-THERMOGRAPHY ONLY
After your initial breast thermogram, a 3-month follow up is needed to establish a thermal baseline. This is necessary to establish your normal thermographic pattern and allows all future comparisons to be made to this baseline. To proactively monitor your breast health, unless you have any identified thermal risk markers, a yearly breast thermogram is what is recommended. Like your fingerprint, your thermal pattern is unique, and if healthy, should remain extremely stable. Your thermograms are archived with EMI, so your medical thermologist can refer to them to compare current findings and symptoms with past temperatures and patterns.
You are not eligible to have breast thermography performed if breastfeeding. Please wait until 3 months after the completion of any breastfeeding to start imaging.
Exam Preparation
In preparation for your thermography session, we ask you to review the following pre-exam instructions and follow the ones that apply to the scan you will be having. Following them ensures the results of your scan will be accurate:
- No prolonged sun exposure to breasts 5 days prior to your appointment.
- No deodorant, antiperspirant, lotion, cream or make up on the day of the exam.
- No shaving or waxing on the day of the exam.
- If bathing, do so one hour or more prior to exam.
- No exercise 4 hours prior to your exam.
- No treatment (chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, hot or cold pack use) of the neck, back, chest or breasts 24 hours before the exam.
- Please wear loose fitting clothes to your appointment.
- Please inform us when scheduling your appointment of any medical procedures you have had within the last 12 weeks that might affect the results of your thermogram.
Please note: Surgical procedures, such as implants, reductions, and biopsies, do not interfere with infrared imaging. If you have copies of any other test results (e.g., mammograms, ultrasounds, or biopsies), please bring them with you.
You are not eligible to have breast thermography done if breastfeeding. Please wait until 3 months after the completion of any breastfeeding to start imaging.
