Newspaper Page Text
Houston Medical Center offers new
technology for breast biopsy
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Until now, the
choices were few.
A woman under
going surgical breast biop
sy could count on being
put to sleep while sur
geons removed the suspi
cious tissue.
Not only was there pain
and possible scarring to
consider, but patients had
general anesthesia added
to the mix
New technology, known
as the ABBI system,
allows physicians greater
direction and accuracy in
a minimally invasive pro
cedure without putting
the patient to sleep
Houston Medical Center
is the only hospital in mid
dle Georgia to offer this
advance breast biopsy pro
cedure
“It (the ABBI system)
makes breast biopsy a
much more tolerable expe
rience than it is other
wise," said Dr. George
Brahn, a board certified
surgeon on staff at
Houston Medical Center
“ABBI gives a sample
larger than a core biopsy.
This allows pathologist to
have good tissue from
which to make a diagnosis,
while making the smallest
incision possible,” Brahn
said.
Typically when breast
cancer is suspected, a
woman is placed under
general anesthesia, then
the suspicious lesion is
surgically removed.
Physicians are guided by a
wire marker placed in the
breast to mark the location
of the lesion.
In some cases, surgeons
may instead perform a
core needle biopsy, using a
needle with a special cut
ting edge to remove tiny
samples of tissue from the
breast. If the results show
that the sample is cancer
ous, another operation is
needed to remove the
remainder of the lesion
ABBI, a one-step
process perfprmed under
local anesthesia, combines
the placement of the wire
marker and removal of the
entire specimen into one
minimally-invasive proce
dure, Brahn said
The patient is placed on
the ABBI system table,
and her breast is com
pressed and immobilized
for enhanced imaging and
accuracy Using stereotac
tic technology (x-rays), the
physician locates the
lesion, numbs the area
with a local anesthetic and
inserts a marking needle
into the breast to “tag” the
precise location.
With the ABBI biopsy
device, the physician gen
tly inserts a cannula a
narrow, tube-like device —•
into the breast to remove
the entire specimen, then
the small opening is closed
with a few stitches
“A computer on the
ABBI system localizes
breast tissue and does the
direction for you,” Brahn
said “It lets us biopsy a
much smaller area and
gives us a better resolu
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PATTERSON
CHIROPRACTIC CENTER
1304 Macon Road • Perry
(912) 987-7555
tion.”
The benefits of ABBI
over surgical excision
include reduced pain and
scarring, a quicker return
to normal activities and
reduced costs Compared
to a core needle biopsy,
ABBI allows physicians to
remove the entire speci
men and may reduce the
potential for additional
surgery
Women should discuss
the benefits of the ABBI
for breast biopsy with
their primary care physi
cian. Brahn said
To receive a free copy of
a brochure on the ABBI
biopsy system. call
Health Source at 923-9771
OR. J. CRAM PATTERSON
Health and Wellness at the Crossroads, Feb. 25,1998
Health and Wellness at the Crossroads is a part of the
Houston Times-Journal three times each year.
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are pleased to announce
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