Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor and can be transmitted and stored like any computer file.

For patients, having a digital mammogram is very much like having a conventional screen-film mammogram. Both film-based and digital mammography use compression and x-rays to create clear images of the inside of the breast. But digital mammography offers us at Alta Vista Regional Hospital a few benefits that traditional mammography does not, including the ability to manipulate images (zoom, adjust the contrast) and potentially reduce radiation exposure, as being able to adjust the image’s brightness and contrast reduces the need for retakes due to over or under exposure.