GVMH's New Mammotome Breast Biopsy System Equipment

Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare offers help for women facing a breast biopsy because of a suspicious mammogram or small breast lump. Women can have a minimally invasive breast biopsy with help of Mammotome® Breast Biopsy System.

More than 1.6 million breast biopsies are performed in the U.S. each year.  Fortunately, about 80% of these biopsies turn out to be benign.  However, most of them are still being done by open surgery, which can lead to scarring, disfigurement of the breast and several hours at the hospital. The Mammotome in a reliable diagnostic alternative to open surgical biopsy, yet much easier on a woman’s body.

 A procedure with the Mammotome uses ultrasound or stereotactic guidance involving the one-time insertion of a probe directly into the suspicious area of the breast through a tiny incision.  Once inside, the Mammotome gently vacuums, cuts and removes the suspicious tissue for further examination.  No stitches are required, using only a small adhesive bandage to cover the incision.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in the U.S., with approximately 203,500 new cases diagnosed each year. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 40,000 women will die from the disease this year.  A breast biopsy is the only way doctors can determine whether a woman has breast cancer.

Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare is now providing this new procedure in their Stereotactic Breast Biopsy Suite in Radiology. For more information about this service call Radiology Services at 660-890-7145.