Women's Center
Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Breast Biopsy

Needle


Your Procedure

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Now it's time to talk about the actual procedure your doctor has recommended for you.

On the day of your operation, you will be asked to put on a surgical gown.
You may receive a sedative by mouth and
an intravenous line may be put in.
You will then be transferred to the operating table.
Your doctor will scrub thoroughly and will apply an antiseptic solution to the skin around the area where the needle will be inserted.
Then, the doctor will place a sterile drape or towels around the operative site...
and will inject a local anesthetic. This will sting a bit, but your breast will quickly begin to feel numb. Usually, the surgeon will inject more than one spot - in order to make sure that the entire area is thoroughly numb
After allowing a few minutes for the anesthetic to take effect, the surgeon will insert the biopsy needle and guide it toward the lump.
You will feel some pressure or even slight tugging or pulling - but you should not feel any sharp pain. If you do begin to feel pain, you should tell the doctor.
Once the tip of the needle has penetrated the lump, the doctor will draw material from the lump up into the collection chamber.
Depending on the size and location of the lump your doctor may choose to reposition the needle and draw additional tissue for analysis.
Finally, a sterile dressing is applied.
Your specimen will be sent immediately to a lab for microscopic analysis. Your doctor will tell you when to expect result from those tests.

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