When there is an abnormality that is found on a on an ultrasound or on palpation, and it is felt that a diagnosis in needed, we use a minimally invasive technique for biopsy called a Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy.

When there is an abnormality that is found on a mammogram, and it is felt that a diagnosis in needed, we use a minimally invasive technique for biopsy called a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy.

A breast ultrasound is very useful tool in the assessment of patients with dense breast. This test is wonderful to assess masses in the breast. It is useful in telling if a mass is a cyst ,a solid mass, or a cancer. There is no radiation exposure associated with this test. It is safe to have even when you are pregnant. This test does not take the place of a mammogram.

A Lumpectomy is a procedure where only a involved portion of the breast is removed for a cancerous or a pre cancer lesion. It is important to note for cancer cases, in a lumpectomy, negative margins need to be obtained for the procedure to be successful. This procedure, in cancer patients, is usually accompanied by additional treatment with radiation therapy. You will need to discuss this further with your surgeon and radiation oncologist.

Mammograms remain the gold standard for screening patients over the age of 40 years. This test has saved millions of lives. The mammograms are low dose in radiation.

A simple mastectomy is a procedure where the breast and the nipple areolar complex are removed. If a lymph node is removed, then it is called a modified radical mastectomy. A skin sparing mastectomy is usually done with patient who are having immediate reconstruction. This involves leaving as much of the patients own skin as possible. This procedure can be done either with a modified radical mastectomy, or a simple mastectomy.

When patients are in need of intravenous chemotherapy, they may require of port. The port is a catheter that is placed to give the chemotherapy, and to draw blood from it. This procedure is done under a twilight sleep sedation. At our center, the port we use is placed directly underneath the skin.

A sentinel node biopsy is an analysis of the first node where the cancer is to spread. Usually, a blue dye is injected by the surgeon and a blue node is identified in the axilla at the time of surgery. This node, or a couple of nodes ( if more then one node turns blue) will be submitted to the pathologist for evaluation to see if the cancer is spread to that node.

When there is an abnormality that is found on a mammogram, and it is felt that a diagnosis in needed, we use a minimally invasive technique for biopsy called a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy.