West Coast Breast Centers: Best-fit Technology: Dedicated to Doing Better

Best-fit Technology: Dedicated to Doing Better

The benefits of increased efficiency and optimized workflow were only a small part of WCBC's decision to go digital. "Our premise is, and always has been, that we're here to take care of our patients. It's all about providing the highest level of care, and constantly retooling and looking for ways we can improve," Chavez said.

"Selenia image quality is better, the resolution is higher, my ability to see through dense tissue is notably improved. As a radiologist, these are the mammographic tools I need to find breast cancer in its earliest stage," Dr. Kubaska asserted. "From my personal point of view, I am very pleased with the system and I feel as if I'm doing a better job for my patients."

When establishing WCBC it was key to choose not just technology but also a vendor who could help the group achieve its' vision. In addition to Selenia full-field digital mammography systems, the practice uses complementary Hologic equipment, including the SecurView diagnostic workstation, the MultiCare Platinum prone stereotactic breast biopsy table, and the Suros ATEC SapphireT vacuum-assisted breast biopsy system.

"We're pleased that we're able to utilize the Suros ATEC for MRI-guided , stereotatic, and ultrasound-guided breast biopsies -- therefore eliminating the need for multiple devices -- and that to me is very important for this practice," Chavez explained.

As a board-certified, fellowship-trained dedicated breast radiologist, Dr. Kubaska is impressed by the convenience of the Suros ATEC system. "I found the Suros ATEC the most user-friendly," she said. "I don't want to spend valuable time with the mechanics of the vacuum-assisted portion. I just want to walk in and perform the breast biopsy. I don't want to set up the vacuum or deal with the buttons on the console itself. The technologists found there was a huge difference in how easy it was to use the Suros ATEC versus other systems." The learning curve for technologists doing breast MRI is easier as well. "Not everybody has technologists who do mammography and who also do breast MRI," she noted. "Sometimes it's completely separate. I have mammography technologists and then I have an MRI technologist. My MRI technologist knows nothing about how to biopsy the breast, so this is all new to that person. Because the ATEC is so easy to use, teaching that person has been very easy."

The simplicity of the Suros ATEC products has also come in handy for the radiologists who cover for Dr. Kubaska. "I found the Suros ATEC handpiece console to be an easier system to teach someone who doesn't perform breast biopsy on a frequent basis," she said.

Improved accuracy, convenience, and image quality have proven to be the best fit for WCBC. The centers and their dedication to digital technology support Dr. Kubaska's personal philosophy as well. "I tell my friends to have a digital mammogram because I believe the sensitivity is higher than an analog mammogram. Come to our center and should you need anything done, we have top of the line equipment in all areas and a dedicated group of breast radiologists who are very experienced in performing all of these procedures," she stated.