When budgets get tight, preventive maintenance is often one of the first line items to face scrutiny. It's easy to rationalize: the system is running fine, the images look good, and that PM contract renewal can wait another quarter. But in mammography, this thinking carries real consequences — not just for your equipment, but for your patients.
The True Cost of Skipping PM
Mammography systems like the Hologic Selenia Dimensions and 3Dimensions are precision instruments. They operate within tight tolerances for X-ray output, detector sensitivity, compression force, and image processing. Over time, components drift out of specification. Without regular calibration and inspection, these drifts compound until they manifest as image quality degradation, increased patient dose, or outright system failure.
The average emergency repair for a Dimensions system costs 3-5x more than a scheduled PM visit — and that doesn't account for the revenue lost during downtime or the patients who had to be rescheduled.
MQSA Compliance Is Not Optional
The Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) requires facilities to maintain their equipment according to manufacturer specifications. Skipping or deferring PM visits puts your facility at risk during inspections. A failed MQSA inspection can result in required corrective action, conditional certification, or in severe cases, suspension of your ability to perform mammography.
Every MammoService PM visit includes full MQSA compliance verification and documentation. When an inspector asks for your maintenance records, you'll have a complete, detailed report covering every inspection point.
What a Comprehensive PM Actually Covers
A proper mammography PM is far more than a quick visual inspection. Our PM protocol for Hologic systems includes: full mechanical inspection of the gantry, C-arm, and compression device; X-ray generator output verification including the Multiplier Drawer (ASY-05340) and Inverter Drawer (ASY-05788); detector calibration and flat-field assessment; AEC (automatic exposure control) testing; image quality evaluation using ACR phantom; dose measurement and optimization; software update review; and electrical safety testing.
The Bottom Line
Preventive maintenance isn't an expense — it's insurance against much larger costs. It protects your patients by ensuring image quality, protects your facility by maintaining MQSA compliance, and protects your budget by preventing expensive emergency repairs. If your mammography system hasn't had a PM visit in the last 6 months, contact MammoService today to schedule one.