Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
Stereotactic Breast Biopsies are performed at our affiliate location -
Madison Avenue Medical Imaging - 240 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
Please call (212) 772-3111 to schedule an appointment.
Stereotactic breast biopsy is a safe and minimally invasive form of breast biopsy. It is used to obtain tiny samples from an abnormal breast mass for examination by a pathologist. Biopsies are the only definitive way to confirm that a breast abnormality is benign (non-cancerous) or not.
What are some common uses of the procedure?
A stereotactic breast biopsy is performed when a mammogram shows a breast abnormality such as:
- a suspicious solid mass
- microcalcifications, a tiny cluster of small calcium deposits
- a distortion in the structure of the breast tissue
- an area of abnormal tissue change
- a new mass or area of calcium deposits is present at a previous surgery site
Stereotactic breast biopsy is also performed when the patient or physician strongly prefers a non-surgical method of assessing a breast abnormality.
What happens during the procedure?
After removing your clothing from the waist up, you will be asked lie face down on a special table and your breast will be positioned through a special round opening in the table. The table is then elevated and your breast is compressed similar to a mammogram. The biopsy site will be marked with a felt-tip pen before your breast is cleaned with a sterile solution. Next, the physician will use a very small needle to numb the biopsy area.
After the local anesthetic has taken effect, the physician will insert the biopsy needle into your breast. At this point stereo images are obtained to confirm that the needle tip actually is within the lesion. Once placement is confirmed, the radiologist will instruct you to hold very still while the tissue sample is acquired and a final set of images are obatined. When the physician has retrieved all the samples, the compression will be released from your breast. This procedure is usually completed within an hour.
What happens after the procedure?
A nurse will cover the incision site with a small bandage and apply pressue to make sure any bleeding has stopped. You should avoid strenuous activity and lifting for 24 hours after the biopsy. Please call your doctor if you have any marked discomfort or significant bleeding after the biopsy
What are the benefits of Stereotactic Breast Biopsy?
- The procedure is less invasive than surgical biopsy, leaves little or no scarring and can be performed in less than an hour.
- Stereotactic breast biopsy is an excellent way to evaluate calcium deposits or tiny masses that are not visible on ultrasound.
- Stereotactic core needle biopsy is a simple procedure that may be performed in an outpatient imaging center.
- Compared with open surgical biopsy, the procedure is about one-third the cost.
- Generally, the procedure is not painful and the results are as accurate as when a tissue sample is removed surgically.
- No breast defect remains and, unlike surgery, stereotactic needle biopsy does not distort the breast tissue and make it difficult to read future mammograms.
- Recovery time is brief and patients can soon resume their usual activities.
