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Surgeon-Performed Vacuum-Assisted Biopsy of the Breast: Results from a Multicentre Australian Study

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Abstract

Background

Image-guided interventional techniques such as vacuum-assisted biopsy are being increasingly utilised in the diagnosis and management of breast conditions. The purpose of this study was to report the outcome of a series of vacuum-assisted biopsies and vacuum-assisted excisions performed by specialist breast surgeons in a largely outpatient setting.

Methods

An Australian multicentre trial of ultrasound-guided surgeon-performed vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) and vacuum-assisted excision (VAE) of breast lesions was conducted involving three surgeons in three participating centres. VAEs were performed for presumed or proven benign breast lesions only.

Results

A total of 225 surgeon-performed ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted procedures were undertaken in 197 patients. Of the 225 VAB procedures, 51 (22.7%) were performed as diagnostic cores and 174 (77.3%) were undertaken as core excisions. Of the 174 VAE procedures undertaken with intent of completely excising the lesion, successful excision of the lesion was achieved in 165 of these cases (94.8%), with complete excision being judged by the absence of any lesion seen on ultrasound following the procedure or the absence of the lesion on a subsequent interval ultrasound examination. A total of 199 procedures were performed in the outpatients setting under local anaesthesia, and 26 procedures were performed in an operating theatre setting under neurolept anaesthesia. The average size of lesions was 19.3 mm in the diagnostic core group and 10.6 mm in the core excision group. The average time for either procedure was approximately 14 min.

Conclusion

Specialist breast surgeons familiar with ultrasound can be readily upskilled to perform vacuum-assisted procedures safely and expeditiously. VAE represents a minimally invasive method of breast lesion management and is a technique with which breast surgeons should become adept.

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Funding

This trial was supported by BARD Australia (BD) who provided the ultrasound units used in this clinical study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    Ian Bennett & Apoorva Saboo

  2. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Ian Bennett

  3. Premion Place, Southport, Australia

    Daniel de Viana

  4. Breastscreen Queensland Gold Coast, Southport, Australia

    Daniel de Viana

  5. Breast and Endocrine Surgery Unit, Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC, Australia

    Michael Law

  6. Silverton Place, Suite 60, Level 5, 101 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia

    Ian Bennett

Authors
  1. Ian Bennett
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  2. Daniel de Viana
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  3. Michael Law
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  4. Apoorva Saboo
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Correspondence to Ian Bennett.

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Bennett, I., de Viana, D., Law, M. et al. Surgeon-Performed Vacuum-Assisted Biopsy of the Breast: Results from a Multicentre Australian Study. World J Surg 44, 819–824 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-019-05266-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-019-05266-7

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