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Deborah Howell (Host): So, it's time for your annual mammogram, but now there's something new on the horizon that could make your experience a little different than you're used to. Let's learn more about the Akrus Chair with an expert in the field. I'm Deborah Howell and our guest today is Holly Dicus, Lead Mammography Technologist at Deaconess, The Women's Hospital. Welcome Holly.

Holly Dicus, RT(R)(M) (Guest0: Hi, thank you for having me.

Host: Super glad to have you. So let's jump in. What is an Akrus Chair?

Holly: So, an Akrus Chair is a mammography positioning chair. It's a versatile and ergonomically designed chair, just specifically for mammogram exams and procedures.

Host: I actually love this because I fainted once standing up so long. There was something wrong with a mammography machine and they made me stand and stand. And then I just kinda went down. So I think an Akrus Chair is good.

Holly: This is going to be perfect for people like you then.

Host: So what type of procedures would you use this chair for?

Holly: So, we typically use this type of chair for stereotactic biopsies, which are biopsies done under the mammography unit. So, this chair just allows you to sit during the procedure and be more comfortable. We can also use these chairs for any other type of mammography for screening, if you come in and have difficulty standing or for people that pass out, have a tendency to do that. We could use that for them. Or any kind of diagnostic imaging, anybody that has trouble standing, difficulty maneuvering around our equipment or anything like that.

Host: Got it. And how common is a procedure with the Akrus Chair?

Holly: So, we do about five to six of these biopsies a week. And then, like I said, we can do them any time during screening mammograms that we do daily and our diagnostic mammograms for patients that need it.

Host: Okay. And can you request your procedure to be done with an Akrus Chair?

Holly: Yes, anybody can request it. If they know that they're going to have difficulty and they have trouble standing or with a walker or with a wheelchair, they are more than welcome to request this chair and we'll be happy to accommodate that.

Host: Lovely. Now, how does the chair benefit the patient?

Holly: So, this chair is going to offer positioning flexibility with patient comfort features as well as ergonomic features for both the patient and the technologists doing the exam. So, it has fully adjustable backrest to allow patient to be upright, or laying down. It's going to have adjustable shoulder segments.

So, if we have to do the biopsy or procedure laying down and you are on your side, we'll be able to drop a shoulder down, so you're not laying on top of that shoulder to be more comfortable for you. We also have back support. So, if you're on your side, we can scoot this back support up and you won't have to kind of lift yourself up during the procedure.

We have headrests that can adjust to where your head is. If we're leaning forward, we can push that head rest up and have you lean your back on it so you're not holding yourself forward. We also have Trendelenburg position. So, if somebody gets faint, we can immediately put them kind of head down feet up and help them recover faster from that.

So, there's a lot of different features on this chair that's going to help make the patient more comfortable so we can adjust this chair to the patient's needs. So, instead of the patient kind of adjusting to the chair or the stool that they're having to sit in, this is going to adjust to the patient.

Host: I love it. You had me at patient comfort. So, will this chair prevent patients from being referred out?

Holly: Yes. So, before, we were not able to get to all areas of the breast with the equipment that we had. So, this chair is going to allow us to do procedures laying down, on your side, in different positions. So, then we'll be able to accommodate all areas of the breast that the radiologists need to get to where before, if it was an inferior approach, or below the breast or underneath the breast, we would send you to a different facility that could accommodate that.

Host: And since it's the year 2021, I do need to ask about dense breasts and implants.

Holly: Yes. So, this is going to be very helpful for people with implants, just because it's a little bit more difficult to position implant patients. So, this will allow us to maneuver the patient and around the equipment, without them kind of having to twist, turn, in any different directions that we always try to make patients do that seem impossible. This chairs will allow us to move them in the position they need with them being comfortable.

Host: Great. And the accuracy of the the pictures, so to speak. Just the same?

Holly: Yes, just the same. The quality of our pictures will be better with this. Just for people that can't stand or that are in a wheelchair, this will help them hold still better. So, we won't have as much motion on our pictures, so we'll be able to get them seated, comfortable and holding still. So, we don't have that motion on the film and have to repeat images. So, our quality will go up with this.

Host: That's what got me, the repeat images. Now I remember that we're going, gonna have to take it again. I'm like, whoa.

Holly: I know the motion will get ya.

Host: Yeah, this is wonderful. So we can just kick back in the chair and,

Holly: We're going to try to make an uncomfortable exam as comfortable as we can.

Host: That is a beautiful thing. Is there anything else you'd like to add Holly?

Holly: Yeah, just anybody that's listening, if you're coming in for a biopsy or a screening mammogram, a diagnostic, and you're concerned about holding still or holding your breasts or being comfortable during the exam, please just let your technologists know. Cause we have all the tools here that we need to make you as comfortable as we can.

So, if you just let your technologists know, we can bring in the chair, we can bring other tools that we have here and we can make it as comfortable as we need to for our patients. So, just make sure you let us know when you get here kind of what's uncomfortable and what's not for you so we can work around that.

Host: And I just thought of one other question I had. What about male patients?

Holly: Yes, male patients. We actually get a lot of male patients believe it or not. So, we can use this chair for them too, cause this will help them kind of get closer to the machine and wrap around the machine, like we need them to get enough breast tissue in.

Host: Beautiful. Well, this is excellent, excellent information, Holly. Thank you so much for the great explanation of the Akrus Chair and its use. And for being with us today.

Holly: Thank you for having me Deborah.

Host: This is the Women's Hospital, a place for all your life. For more information, visit deaconess.com/twhbreast or call 812-842-4995. I'm Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.