Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center Offers Minimally Invasive Breast Biopsy

EMPORIA, VA (June 17, 2011) – Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center is offering women faced with a suspicious mammogram or small breast lump a less invasive breast biopsy that keeps women out of the operating room and avoids the stitches and scarring associated with a traditional open surgical biopsy.

The procedure is done with a minimally invasive breast biopsy device that allows doctors to biopsy suspicious tissue through a tiny incision in less than 15 minutes with an immediate recovery. The biopsy is done on the Mobile Biopsy Coach.

“Whenever possible, a minimally invasive breast biopsy should be performed rather than an open surgical biopsy,” said Paul Hogg, MD, of Southern Virginia Medical Group. “Now women can get an accurate diagnosis with an outpatient procedure that is less invasive, less traumatic and easier on a woman’s body. It’s also a way to avoid the operating room altogether if it’s not breast cancer, which is the case for about 80 percent of women.”

In the procedure, a woman lies on a table while the doctor places the needle through a small incision about the size of a match head. Using ultrasound or x-ray imaging the doctor can accurately pinpoint the suspicious tissue and gently remove this tissue for further examination. Only a small adhesive bandage is required to cover the incision. The procedure typically takes less than 15 minutes and women can return to normal activity immediately following the biopsy.

More than 1.6 million breast biopsies are performed each year in the U.S.; however, approximately 80 percent of the biopsies performed turn out to be benign. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 203,500 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease.

Minimally invasive breast biopsies are increasingly replacing open surgical biopsies in the U.S. A paper published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (Sept. 2001) recommended that “if a mammogram indicates a breast biopsy is needed, a minimally invasive breast biopsy should be performed whenever possible.”

In addition, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 24, 2002) concluded that the leading cause of physician delay in diagnosing breast cancer is wrongly assuring women with breast lumps that they were benign without performing a biopsy.

“Mammograms are not enough in many cases to make a definitive diagnosis,” said Dr. Hogg. “And now with the advent of minimally invasive breast biopsies, there should be no reason for women to avoid a biopsy that can help them detect breast cancer at its earliest stages, when it’s most curable.”

Certified by the American Board of General Surgery, Dr. Hogg joined the medical staff of Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in November of 2010. His practice, Southern Virginia Medical Group, is located at 511 Belfield Drive in Emporia. Dr. Hogg is accepting new patients and may be reached at 434-348-4860.