Open Surgical Biopsy

Incisional Biopsy- A procedure performed either in the office or operating room, that will remove a piece of a breast mass for the purpose of obtaining a diagnosis. It is an option used when a mass requires evaluation and the surgeon deems it is necessary to take a piece of skin, or just needs to have a larger sample of the mass to make a diagnosis. The surgeon will mark the area while you are awake and then begin the procedure.

Once the skin is cleansed and numbed with local anesthesia, an incision is made and the tissue is removed and the skin placed back together.

Open Surgical Biopsy - A procedure performed in the operating room or office that will remove a palpable mass. It is always an option when you can feel the lesion. It is at times the recommended procedure if the mass is near the nipple or very close to the surface of the skin.

The surgeon will mark the area while you are awake and can confirm that the appropriate area is being removed. The skin is then cleansed with antiseptic solution. Then under local anesthesia with or without drugs to sedate or relax you are given, the area is removed through a small incision in the skin. Once the mass is removed, the skin is reapproximated to create the best cosmetic result possible.

Risks

• Bleeding

• Infection

• Anesthesia

• Defect in the breast

• Scar formation

Needle Localization Biopsy - An open biopsy that uses the placement of a needle to guide the surgeon to the area of interest. It is placed under Mammographic guidance, ultrasound guidance or even MRI guidance. It may be used as a primary procedure or as a follow up to a Stereotactic or mammotome biopsy.

If you are going to undergo this procedure, you will take a trip to the radiology department before surgery and a series of mammograms, MRI or an ultrasound will be used to place a needle The radiologist will place a needle in to the breast to guide the surgeon to the exact area of concern. An area of previous biopsy that is marked by a clip or marker may be the target or possibly the needle may be identifying an area of micro calcifications for excision. If you have a larger area of micro calcifications, the doctor may choose to place two needles to so called, bracket, the area in question.

Once the needle or needles are placed, a series of follow up mammograms are needed with the needles in place to guide the surgeon as to where to go in the operating room.

An x-ray of the specimen will confirm that the appropriate region has been removed.

Risks

• Bleeding

• Infection

• Anesthesia

• Defect in the breast

• Inability to remove the lesion, clip or calcifications