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FIND A DOCTOR MAPS & DIRECTIONS VIDEO LIBRARY

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Blood, Heart and Circulation Bones, Joints and Muscles Brain and Nerves Digestive System Ear, Nose and Throat Endocrine System Eyes and Vision Immune System Kidneys and Urinary System Lungs and Breathing Mouth and Teeth Skin, Hair and Nails Female Reproductive System Male Reproductive System

Health Topics from MedlinePlus Select one... Blood, Heart and Circulation Bones, Joints and Muscles Brain and Nerves Digestive System Ear, Nose and Throat Endocrine System Eyes and Vision Immune System Kidneys and Urinary System Lungs and Breathing Mouth and Teeth Skin, Hair and Nails Female Reproductive System Male Reproductive System

Other Breast Procedures 

Cyst Aspiration
Cysts are fluid collections in the breast that are identified with ultrasound. Cysts are very common and are almost always completely benign. Typically, cysts are asymptomatic, but occasionally they can be painful or may look slightly atypical with ultrasound imaging. In that case, the doctor will recommend aspiration. When undergoing cyst aspiration, the cyst is identified with ultrasound and the area of skin overlying the cyst is cleaned to avoid infection. The skin is numbed and a small needle is inserted into the cyst to drain the fluid. Typically, the needle is the same size as those which are used to draw blood. The cyst aspiration takes between five and ten minutes and the patient can resume all normal activities immediately following the procedure.

Ductography
Ductography (or as it is also commonly called, galactogram) is used to evaluate certain types of nipple discharge.The duct producing the discharge is identified and the skin overlying this duct is cleaned to help avoid infection. A very small catheter is placed into the duct and contrast is injected through the catheter into the duct. Following the injection of contrast, mammographic images are obtained. The contrast outlines any abnormalities inside the duct. The procedure is typically painless and usually takes between 45 minutes to an hour. The patient can resume all her normal activities following the procedure.

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping
Sentinel lymph node mapping has become a standard part of the evaluation of many types of breast cancer. The first place that breast cancer typically spreads outside of the breast is to the lymph nodes located in the axilla, which is the area under the arm. Prior to the development of sentinel lymph node mapping, in order to determine which lymph nodes contained cancer it was necessary for surgeons to remove a large number of lymph nodes from this area. While this helped surgeons to obtain necessary information concerning the extent of the cancer, it often led to complications such as arm pain and swelling.

The lymph nodes which drain the breast are organized similar to a chain, and sentinel lymph node mapping is based on the premise that if the cancer has not spread to the first lymph node in the chain (the sentinel lymph node), it will not have spread beyond it. During sentinel lymph node mapping, the patient is injected with a small amount of a radioactive liquid. The radioactive liquid (or isotope as it is commonly called) is typically injected into the breast tissue or around the nipple. Imaging is then performed to identify the first lymph node to which the isotope spreads. The images and isotope help guide the surgeon to the sentinel lymph node which the surgeon subsequently removes. If the pathologist determines that there is no cancer in the sentinel lymph node, then the patient does not need to have additional lymph nodes removed, thus reducing the incidence of postoperative complications. It is important to remember that just because a lymph node lights up with isotope, it does not mean that the lymph node contains cancer, the isotope simply demonstrates the lymph node to which the cancer would first spread if it was going to spread.

Breast Needle Wire Localization
This procedure is performed prior to surgery in patients who are undergoing surgical biopsy or removal of lumps or known cancers. The procedure is used to identify the abnormal area so the surgeon knows what tissue needs to be removed. The procedure can be performed using either mammography or ultrasound; typically it depends on which form of imaging better demonstrated the lesion. The breast is cleaned in order to avoid infection and a small needle is placed through the skin and into the abnormal area. After imaging has been performed to ensure that the needle is in the right position, a small wire is placed through the needle and the needle is removed. Images with the wire in the breast are obtained and are sent to the operating room with the patient to assist the surgeon. The wire stays in the breast until surgery and is used by the surgeon as a guide to remove the abnormal tissue. Typically this procedure is painless, but occasionally it can be associated with slight discomfort.