Will I have any restrictions after a biopsy?
You will have very few restrictions after your biopsy. While we recommend against jarring activities, such as jogging or aerobics, on the day of or the day after the biopsy, some women return to work immediately after the biopsy. There will be no stitches to worry about.

When and how will I get my results?
Generally, we will give you the results of your biopsy one or two days after the procedure.

Is there any preparation necessary before the biopsy?
No, be comfortable. Eat what you generally eat and take any medications that you normally take. If you are taking blood thinners, such as aspirin or Coumadin®, we may need to make special arrangements. If you have been told to take antibiotics before any procedure because of a heart condition or joint replacement surgery, please let us know.

Will it hurt?
While you may feel a small "bee sting" when the local anesthetic is administered, you should feel no pain during the biopsy itself. If you do, simply let us know – we can easily give you more local anesthetic.

Won't the needle for the local anesthetic hurt?
The needle that is used for the local anesthetic is quite tiny. Many women feel nothing during the local anesthetic administration. Even those who do, often consider it less painful than a bee sting. Local anesthetic, properly administered, should not hurt.

Where can this be performed?
Tristán Associates' radiologists perform stereotactic biopsies at our Women's Imaging Center. Is it accurate? Yes, few people realize that a surgical biopsy (where the nodule is removed through an incision) has a miss rate of approximately three to four percent. The miss rate for stereotactic breast biopsy is, in our experience, considerably lower.