Seated breast exam?

As RN has clearly stated proper technique of a clinical breast exam, the same techniques are just as important for your own BSE, breast self exam. The better you, your S/O (significant other) and your physician know what is "normal" for your breasts throughout your cycle, the earlier and easier it is to become aware when something is amiss from your "normal". This is for both women AND MEN. Men DO get breast cancer, they can and DO die from it just as women do.

Karma for you RN.

~ Andie

Does anyone do a standing breast exam ? Like how they teach in self exams to lean over to look for abnormalities

Standing is taught for upright self exam using a wall mirror. This way you can see dimpling or lumps as you move your arms. It's not as common for people to have an appropriate mirror in front of a chair.

As usual RN has said it all. Thank you for your detailed encyclopedic text.

Wouldn't it be prudent to examine a women's breast in several positions that way you can ensure that nothing is missed

Wouldn't it be prudent to examine a women's breast in several positions that way you can ensure that nothing is missed

That's why it's done seated and recumbent.

Andie, That Australian and liquidsky thanks for your comments and as Andie further stated "the same techniques are just as important for your own BSE as well as getting your significant other familiar with them as well throughout your cycle.

If I'm a bit passionate on this subject, its that my Mum had to have a radical mastectomy and axillary clearance when I was 15. Thankfully she made a fully recovery but it left a lasting impression on me about the importance of breast care and health and early detection and treatment.

As a final consideration I should have mentioned that Men do get breast cancer as well. Many people do not realize that men have breast tissue and that they can develop breast cancer as well. Until puberty, young boys and girls have a small amount of breast tissue consisting of a few ducts located under the nipple and aureola (area around the nipple). At puberty, a girl's ovaries make female hormones, causing breast ducts to grow, lobules to form at the ends of ducts, and the amount of stroma to increase.

Even after puberty, men and boys normally have low levels of female hormones, and breast tissue doesn’t grow much.Men's breast tissue has ducts, but only a few if any lobules.

Like all cells of the body, a man's breast duct cells can undergo cancerous changes. But breast cancer is less common in men because their breast duct cells are less developed than those of women and because they normally have lower levels of female hormones that affect the growth of breast cells.

And Yes I know this topic is concerned with women and a seated breast exam and is in a gynecology thread but it just as important for Men.

So its important that Men be aware and do check themselves.

The days of both seated and lying back breast exams seem to be fading.,, Drs are very fast now, and its either one or the other...

When I went to a new gyno last year he did both. Don't know what others do...

Each year my wife has her breast examined first in a seated position. Her doctor witch is an attractive male by the way, palpates her breast that way he then has her lie down and redoes the same thing. Every year it gets me very excited watching!

Our gyno examines her breasts in laying down position after de by manual and abdomen palpation, then sitting up with arms in different positions, feeling armpits and glands. Thorough palpation of each breast, with nipple squeeze. At mammography usually just in sitting position. I just posted, her exam after the last mammography

My gynos (I've had many over the years) have always done the breast exam in 3 parts- seated, lying with arms at sides, and lying with my hands beneath my head. Thoroughness is good.

I had a breast exam recently. I had both ways, sitting and then lying down (hands behind the head while lying down).

I have known from the internet that a proper exam includes both positions. I didn't find it uncommon.

But I was very apprehensive to be topless since this was my first and had closed my eyes as she examined.

In talking with most women, that is the way that I have heard it to be done. I have read the reason for the multiple positions is to be able to feel/observe the tissue in it's natural state as well as flat.

I have always had the seated portion of the breast exam, both as part of my gyn exam and regular checkup/physical.

My current doc is a GP. We talk for about fifteen minutes before she begins the actual exam. Then ears, eyes, nose and throat. Heart and lungs, including pulses in neck. Lay flat for glands and breasts with arms overhead. Abdomen and slide to the end of the table. She slips that plastic spec with the light attached to it in, gets a smear and uses two fingers. The whole hands on exam takes less time than it does for me to undress and put a gown on. But she has been my doc for about ten years and I'm finding it difficult to ask for a second opinion when there is nothing wrong with me currently! Help! I hate my checkups.

My wife and I have conjoint physicals, so I get to see her exams and she gets to see mine. She does receive her breast exams in both the seated and supine positions.

My gynocologists have always done both. They just adjust the back of the exam chair/table for either one. The breast exam has always been my favorite part.

The first two or three breast exams I had were laying down only and exposing only one breast at a time. Then I had one at a private gynecologist's office and he had me sitting up with the gown fully down and both breasts exposed at the same time.

My gynecologist exam in seated and laying position. I lay still on the gyn chair as he start the breast exam in laying position. At this I have to lift up my top or t-shirt above my breast.

Of course, a breast examination must be carried out in 2 stages, in a seated position then lying down.

After the usual questioning, I always specify to my patient that I begin the gynecological examination by the breasts.

She therefore has the choice of undressing only the top (even if most of them go straight naked)

We always start with a visual examination standing to assess if the breasts are symmetrical and if there is no deformity between one and the other.

The patient sits down on the height-adjustable stool and the palpation can begin.. We must ensure the flexibility and the absence of any trace of adhesion of the fabric. During this, the patient will be asked to raise her arms behind her neck or possibly extend her arm in the direction of the practitioner's opposite shoulder.

During this sequence, the practitioner's fingers will palpate with the fingertips the gland from bottom to top, in order to determine the freedom of the tissues during mobilization.

We will also do a careful study under the arm to look for the existence of disturbing lymph nodes. If necessary, we can have a posterior approach, the doctor standing behind the patient

Then we put the couch in a completely horizontal position and the patient will lie down. At this time the palpation is more carried out with the flat of the fingers to search by moderate pressure if there are traces of cysts and we check that there is no discharge from the nipple .

When it is finished, the patient is asked to sit with her legs wide apart, heels in the stirrups and buttocks well at the edge of the table and we can begin the abdominal exploration. If she wishes, she can put her bra or a t-shirt back on.

I don't recall having a seated breast exam. It's done mostly when I'm laying flat and one breast uncovered at a time. I've also only had one doctor look at both my breasts at the same time. My right breast is noticeably larger. My nipples even look different and I have a hole on the side of one nipple even though I've never tried to pierce it.

The last gynecologist I saw did it seated then laying down.

I actually had to think about it!

I have done both seated and lying down.. I always start with seated, helps examine axilla more easier.. Later i switch to lying down.. If they have bigger breasts then spend more time in lying down position..

How common is it to have nipple discharge ? Does it usually happen or only to certain women ?

I’ve experienced both sitting and lying down. Lying down feels more exposed to me.

My breast exams usually start seated then they go on to laying down, I personally prefer to be seated as I find it more comfortable

@Erty2 I thin being comfortable is very important when getting an exam

@Medical_man I agree, it sets the atmosphere of the entire exam to follow

My OB only does laying down. My primary does both seated, leaning forward and then laying down.