| 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. |
| |
|
Because the lump in your breast can only be detected through radiography, your surgeon will require assistance in locating the area in question. Before surgery, you will be taken to a radiology lab. There, the radiologist will inject a small amount of anesthetic in order to numb your breast. |
|
|
|
Then, using your last mammogram as a guide, |
| |
|
the radiologist will insert a thin wire into your breast, moving the end of it towards the area of abnormality. This wire will serve as a pointer for the surgeon during your operation. |
| |
|
The radiologist will perform another mammogram in order to verify that the wire has been placed correctly. It is possible that the wire will have to be moved or repositioned - and a mammogram taken once again. |
|
|
|
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 incision will be made. |
| |
|
Then, the doctor will place a sterile drape or towels around the operative site . . . |
| |
|
. . . and will inject a local anesthetic. This may 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 make a small incision. |
| |
|
Once the incision has been made, your doctor will begin cutting along the wire, moving towards the abnormality located at the end. You will feel some tugging and pulling - but you should not feel any sharp pain. If you do, please tell the doctor and you will be given more anesthetic. |
| |
|
Once the specimen is removed, the doctor may have it x-rayed in order to determine whether or not the correct tissue has been removed. Very rarely, the doctor may decide, based on this x-ray, to remove additional tissue. |
| |
|
Your doctor and nurse will remove the guide wire |
| |
|
and close the skin over the incision as neatly and as cosmetically as they are able. |
| |
|
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. |
