Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy

Ultrasound Guided breast biopsies are performed for abnormalities such as a suspicious solid mass, distortion in the structure of the breast tissue, or an abnormal tissue change.

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the body’s tissues, structures, and blood flow. A transducer/probe and ultrasound gel work together to transmit and receive sound waves to produce images on the monitor.

You will be asked to change into a gown. A pre-procedure and post-procedure explanation will occur with our Nurse Navigator, physician, and sonographer. Then you will lie on your back or slightly turned toward one side of the ultrasound table. The breast will be cleaned with a cleaning solution, and the radiologist will use Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, to numb the biopsied area. After numbing, you may feel pressure or pushing but should not have any pain. Our team will monitor your comfort, and the local anesthesia can be quickly increased if needed.

Using a hand-help transducer (probe) to locate the area of concern, the radiologist will guide a biopsy needle into the area and take several tissue samples.

Tissue samples will be taken as a specimen, and a tiny titanium marker clip will be placed where the samples were taken for future reference. Usually, a two-view, lightly compressed mammogram will be performed post-biopsy to document the clip placement.

A representative from our customer care center will contact you to schedule the procedure and briefly review health and insurance information. Inform the scheduler of any allergies to latex or Lidocaine (local anesthetic) and any current use of blood thinning medications. These will need to be temporarily stopped for a few days before the procedure. In addition, stop taking Aspirin three days prior to the procedure.

• Pressure will be applied to the biopsy site, and you will be monitored for bleeding or other complications.
• Steri-strips and a band-aid will be placed over the biopsy incision, and an ice pack will be applied.
• Specimens obtained will be transported to the outside laboratory for pathology analysis.
• You will be given post-procedure instructions, information about how you will receive your results, and contact numbers should you encounter any post-procedure problems.
• There will be a three-day restriction on exercising, swimming, and bathing after the procedure.
• You may shower 24 hours after your procedure.
• The biopsy results are typically ready in 3-4 business days.
• A non-Aspirin pain reliever such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, or Aleve can be taken for any post-procedure discomfort.
• You may return to work after your procedure if you are not required to lift over eight pounds or reach/lift with your arms overhead. Reaching and lifting are restricted for 24 hours post-procedure.
• You will be asked to ice the biopsy site on and off following the procedure.

Benefits:

• The procedure is less invasive than a surgical biopsy, leaving little or no scarring, and can be performed in less than an hour.
• Excellent comfort for patients.
• Reliably provides tissue samples that can show whether a breast lesion is benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).
• Ultrasound Guided biopsy procedures provide the radiologist full control of the needle position in real-time.
• Ultrasound Guided biopsy procedures allow radiologists to access difficult areas, such as the axilla and the chest wall.
• Multiple unilateral or bilateral lesions can be safely biopsied in one session.
• Ultrasound Guided breast biopsy is less expensive than other biopsy methods.

Potential Risks:

These are safe procedures, but with all invasive procedures, there are rare risks, including:

• • Infection – The chance of infection requiring antibiotic treatment appears to be less than one in 1,000.
  • Excessive bleeding or hematoma (collection of blood at the biopsy site) – less than 1%.