What is Stereotactic Breast Biopsy?
Once a lump or abnormality has been detected, your doctor may want to conduct a biopsy. This procedure involves taking sample tissue from the suspicious area to determine whether it is cancerous.

While the thought of having a biopsy might be frightening, the results can provide reassuring peace of mind. Remember, the vast majority of biopsies turn out to be non-cancerous. And a biopsy is currently the only way to achieve an accurate diagnosis

Common uses of this procedure.
This procedure is used to find out whether the lump on your breast found by your physician is cancerous or not.
How does it work?
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy is a nonsurgical procedure completed on an outpatient basis with a minimum of discomfort and recovery time.

Upon entering the procedure room, the woman lies face-down on a special table. The table has a hole through which the breast is placed. The breast is slightly compressed to immobilize it, just as in a mammmogram. This allows our radiologists to get a clear mammographic image of the area to be sampled. The table is connected to a computer that processes digital images. Placement of the sampling device is guided by a computerized system using x-rays.

Two images at different angles are taken that allow the computer to localize the mass and calculate the coordinates. Local anesthesia is used before the vaccum - operated needle is advanced to the coordinates that were calculated by the computer. The advance of the needle is followed by several images.

Once the needle is seen to be in the breast mass or the breast microcalcification, vacuum-assisted biopsies are taken. The patient is awake throughout the whole procedure and can go home with a Band-AidŽ shortly thereafter. The pathology specimens are sent to a pathologist, and the results are usually known within two-to-four days.
 

Benefits vs Risks

Benefits Risks

Usually requires only a 1/4" skin incision.
Complications are rare, but patients should call right away if they experience a fever or have much bleeding from the biopsy site.

Generally is performed in less than one hour under a local anesthetic.
Stereotactic breast biopsies are usually sufficient to determine the nature of the breast mass. However, at times a larger piece of tissue may need to be removed afterward.

Minimizes discomfort.
There is a small ( 2 - 8%) chance that the areabiopsied may not be adequately sampled. You may need to repeat this procedure or a surgical biopsy.

Capable of sampling a variety of breast abnormalities, such as microcalcifications, asymmetric densities, solid masses or nodules.		  

Tissue samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis and pathologic results.		  

Procedure requires no stitches.		  

Patient Comfort.
Compared to surgery, stereotactic breast biopsy is quick and less painful