Exams: Comprehensive Women's Imaging

Ultrasound Guided Breast Procedures

When is ultrasound guidance needed?
Ultrasound guidance is used in three situations:

• Fine Needle Aspiration, using a small needle to extract fluid or cells from the abnormal area
• Core Needle Biopsy, using a hollow needle to remove samples of breast tissue
• Wire Localization, a guide wire is placed into a suspicious area to help surgeons locate a lesion during surgical biopsy

What is Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy?
Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy is the removal of breast tissue using ultrasound imaging to guide the physician to the site of the breast lesion.

What are some common uses of Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy?
An ultrasound-guided breast biopsy can be performed when a breast ultrasound shows an abnormality such as:

• a suspicious solid mass
• a distortion in the structure of the breast tissue
• an area of abnormal tissue change
• a new mass is present at a previous surgery site

How should I prepare for an Ultrasound Guided Breast Procedure?
Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. You will be asked to remove your clothing and jewelry before the procedure. Prior to a biopsy, please report to your physician all medications you’re currently taking. You may want to have someone accompany you to the procedure and drive you home afterward.

*If you are taking blood-thinning medications, please inform our staff at time of scheduling.

How is the Ultrasound Guided Breast Procedure performed?
The specifics of your ultrasound guided breast procedure will depend upon the exact procedure scheduled for you. Below is some general information about aspiration, biopsy and needle localizations.

Ultrasound Guided Breast Biopsy is most often performed by a specially trained radiologist, and performed on an outpatient basis. You will be positioned lying face up on the examination table or turned slightly to the side. A local anesthetic will be injected into the breast to numb the area. Using an ultrasound transducer, the sonographer or radiologist will locate the lesion in the breast. A very small nick is made in the skin at the site where the biopsy needle is to be inserted. The physician, constantly monitoring the lesion site with the ultrasound probe, will insert the needle and advance it directly into the mass.

Tissue samples are then removed using one of two methods:

• In a fine needle aspiration, a fine gauge needle and a syringe withdraw fluid or clusters of cells.
• In a core needle biopsy, the mechanism is activated, moving the needle forward and filling the needle trough with 'cores' of breast tissue.

After this sampling, the needle will be removed. A small marker may be placed at the site so that it can be located in the future if necessary. Once the biopsy is complete, pressure will be applied to stop any bleeding and the opening in the skin is covered with a dressing. No sutures are needed. A mammogram may be performed to confirm that the marker is in the proper position. This procedure is usually completed within an hour.

If a surgical biopsy is being performed, a wire is inserted into the suspicious area as a guide for the surgeon.