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How Should Patients
Prepare for Open Surgical Biopsy?
Patients are typically given detailed
instructions by their physician and anesthesiologist in advance of the day of their
surgical biopsy. Patients should avoid eating or drinking anything after midnight if they
are scheduled for a surgical biopsy the next morning or afternoon. There are exceptions
when patients may be instructed to take certain regular medications, such as blood
pressure medications or diabetes medication, by their physician or anesthesiologist.
Women should not wear talcum powder,
deodorant, lotion, or perfume under their arms or on their breasts on the day of the
biopsy (as these may cause image artifacts or other problems). Patients who take blood
thinners or aspirin should ask their physician about discontinuing them prior to surgery
(typically three days for coumadin or other blood thinners, seven days for aspirin or
ibuprofen).
What Should Patients
Expect After Open Surgical Biopsy?
Open surgical biopsy requires stitches
and a longer period of recovery than percutaneous ("through the skin") breast
biopsy procedures (such as fine needle aspiration (FNA), core needle biopsy, or vacuum-assisted biopsy).
Usually, at least one full day of recovery is required.
The scar from a surgical biopsy is
typically small. However, whether or not surgery will change the shape of a woman’s
breast depends on a number of factors, including:
- The size of the breast lesion
- The location of the breast lesion
- The amount of surrounding breast tissue
that is removed in addition to the lesion
What are the Advantages
and Disadvantages to Open Surgical Biopsy?
Surgical biopsy yields the largest
breast tissue sample of all the breast biopsy methods, and the accuracy of a diagnosis
using the open surgical method is close to 100%, making it the "gold standard"
of breast biopsy methods.
Nevertheless, while surgical biopsy may
be the best choice for some patients, it does have disadvantages, especially if the
breast lesion is found to be benign (non-cancerous):
- It requires stitches and can leave a
scar
- Scar formation within the breast may
persist for 12 months or longer and may complicate the interpretation of follow up mammograms
Other, more rare complications may
include:
- Chances of bleeding, infection, or
problems with wound healing
- Mortality risks associated with the use
of anesthesia
- The chance of having a piece of the
localizing wire break off deep within the breast (though this is not usually a serious
problem even if it does occur)
Women are strongly encouraged to
discuss all aspects of their biopsy with their surgeon prior to undergoing the procedure.
Surgical biopsy usually requires at least one day of recuperation at home after surgery.
Women should also discuss possible alternatives to surgical breast biopsy with their
physician, such as vacuum-assisted biopsy and core
needle biopsy.
Updated: August 29, 2007
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