Open surgical biopsy

Open surgical biopsy removes a tissue sample through a small cut in the skin over the lump.

To keep you from feeling pain during the biopsy, you may be given IV (intravenous) sedation and local anesthesia. This means drugs are used to make you sleepy and to numb your breast so you don't feel the surgery. Another option is general anesthesia. In this case, drugs are used to put you into a deep sleep so you don't feel pain.

Your surgeon then makes an incision (cut) in the skin over your breast. If possible, this is done in a way that hides the scar. In most cases, all of the lump is removed along with a margin (edge) of healthy tissue around it. The incision is then closed with stitches. Some stitches dissolve on their own. Others may need to be removed when the incision heals.

Wire localization

A lump that can’t be felt may be hard to find during surgery. In such a case, a mammogram or ultrasound can be used to find the lump before the biopsy. The images are used to guide a thin needle into the area. A thin wire with a tiny hook on the end is put in through the needle. The hooked end is in the area to be removed.

You are then taken to the operating room for surgery. The wire guides the surgeon to the tissue that's removed during the biopsy. It's removed along with the tumor or changed breast tissue.