Minimally Invasive Excision of Benign Breast Tumor Using Ultrasound Guided Vacuum-Assisted Mammotome

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Current epidemiologic study indicates that the incidence of breast cancer has increased in Korea. However, significantly more women will develop benign breast disease during their adult lives. Even though benign breast disease is not life threatening, it can cause patient discomfort, anxiety, and fear. This study evaluates the safety, efficacy, and patient acceptance of an ultrasound guided vacuum-assisted mammotome (UVAM) in percutaneous total removal of benign breast lesions. METHODS: From Aug. 2002 to Feb. 2003, 106 sonographically benign breast lesions (up to 2.5 cm in size) of 86 patients underwent total removal under local anesthesia using 11-guage or 8-guage UVAM needles. Ultrasonographic follow-up evaluation was performed at 14 days post operation to assess the residual lesions and complications. RESULTS: UVAM allows total removal of benign breast lesions that are up to 2.5 cm in size and no residual lesions were found in follow-up breast sonogram for any of the patients. Forty-one patients (47.7%) were younger than 40. The pathologists classified the majority of removed lesions as fibroadenoma (52.9%) or fibrocystic changes (34.9%). Most complications were mild or moderate. Among the complications such as hematoma, pain, and skin dimpling, hematoma was most common and resolved spontaneously without additional intervention. All of the patients were satisfied with this procedure. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous excision of benign breast lesions using UVAM is feasible, safe, and yields high patient satisfaction. Long-term efficacy is being evaluated in an ongoing study.