Reply to Highly suspicious for BREAST CANCER

Forum Index » Health and Medicine

Reply to "Highly suspicious for BREAST CANCER"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]Op here - Yesterday I had a vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy. I hesitate to post my experience because I don't want to scare anyone, but I do hope to help someone else by doing so. I mean maybe a discussion with the radiologist beforehand is warranted, about what steps can be taken to avoid this. I talked with the radiologist before we got started I asked a few questions and we did discuss the risks, but this possibilty was never mentioned.

Set up for the biopsy took approximately an hour and forty-five minutes with over thirty mammogram images being taken along the way.  The left outer quadrant is extremely difficult to capture on a mammogram view, but necessary as that view offers a guide to the area from which the samples will be taken. At one point the tech joking said, "I call this one the titty twister because I literally have to twist your breast into position." And twist she did.  It kept the mood light, so I didn't mind her humor. The tech apologized for it taking so long and explained that the area is "really thin" and they needed to be precise in the positioning so "we don't blow through anything". Hmm.

They tried several positions with me seated. Then had me lay down on my side.  The radiologist even gave a go at getting me properly positioned. After a second tech came in, they were able to get the exact view they wanted after about thirty minutes of them working together. At this point, I didn't mind any of this because the alternative would have been a surgical biopsy.

The lidocaine stick was painless, no burning as the medicine went in. The doctor explained that they inject more lidocaine as they go along to ensure a painfree procedure. When the needle-vacuum is turned on it sounds like an electric toothbrush. They took several samples before I felt a seering pain, what felt like the inside of my breasts being sliced open.  Naturally I screamed and the doctor turned off the needle-vaccum. We proceeded after a few minutes since there were still several more samples needed (12 in total) and what was the point of it all if they didn't get enough tissue. Thankfully there was no more pain.

The tech pressed hard on the area for a full ten minutes to stop the bleeding. There was a lot of blood on the mammogram machine. The doctor apologized profusely and the tech said they must have hit a vessel. She said, "everyone always screams the same way when that happens." Huh? WTH?! There has to be a way to ensure this doesn't happen. And if they can't, they should stop using that vacuum assisted needle.  I'm thinking of setting up a meeting with someone at the hospital - I don't know who yet - but someone who can change this - someone who can put the proper policies in place.  This should never, ever happen to anyone. Sorry this is long, sorry for my rant.

BTW, many, many women have breast biopsies that are completely pain free. My sister just had one two months ago.

This was done at well respected, major hospital not in the DMV area. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics