Wire Localization and Pain

PJKuser

I'm not trying to scare anyone because it appears from posts many people didn't experience what I did. Back in 2013 I had to have a lumpectomy. Before surgery I had a wire localization placed to the surgery site via a mammogram machine.

Now I've had cortisone injections in my shoulders, wrists, elbows, fingers and heels. I had a local in the roof of my mouth for a gum graft and they didn't even compare (pain wise) to the wire localization. I have a very high pain tolerance. The lidocaine injections didn't hurt, the wire didn't hurt but when it hit the biopsy site I almost went through the roof. I was rapidly inhaling and exhaling, sweat was pouring off my forehead and the instant the wire hit the biopsy site, I was sitting down and my feet flew out and kicked the mammogram machine.

I sure hope no one else had this experience. In your opinion, do you think they didn't numb the area enough before placing the wire? I have to have another wire localization in a week and I'm almost dreading that more than actual excision I need. I don't know why they can't put you in a seated position, place you in the mammogram machine, then give you what they call "twilight"?? They do it for colonoscopies and endoscopiesand I guarantee if this same procedure were done on a man's testicles, it would only happen to one man and every subsequent one, they'd knock them out completely.

What is your take on it?

Moderators

Dear PJKuser, we want to welcome you to Breastcancer.org. We're so very glad you've found and joined our community. We're sorry we can't really help you with your question, but hope others who may be able to help come along soon! In the mean time, you may want to read also through the following Topic: the wire placement before the surgery.

Wishing you all the best for your next wire placement!

The Mods

Anonymous

Hi there,

I just had my surgery on March 22 and had a wire localization done an hour before.. I must say that my experience was not bad... Before I arrived at the hospital I applied EMLA cream to the area.. At the time of the procedure I was given an injection of Lidocaine. My team was wonderful and I did not feel anything at all.. I was seated the whole time... The worst part of the procedure was not the insertion of the wires but sitting in the uncomfortable position in the mammogram machine.

I forgot to mention that I also took a Xanax before arriving at the hospital which really kept me calm. I think that staying calm is also key.

Good Luck and feel free to private message me if you have more questions or want more information

wiseseeker

It is May 13, 2016 and I am home from my wire localization, incisional biopsy and nipple-ectomy due to Paget's disease. I was anxious all night only about the wire procedure and guess what, ladies? It was nothing to worry about at all! The absolute most painful part was prior to even being injected with anything they had to take a picture on the mammo machine and she stretched my breast so much and smashed it so hard inside the paddles that it hurt for about a minute really bad. The lidocaine shot going in was quick and nearly painless and from there I felt no needle or wire. Also, I had this idea that the wire should be sticking out of my shirt or something and no, it was virtually all inside the breast as I was taken to pre-op. I confess I took a 5 mg tab of valium about 30 minutes before the localization because of my nervousness and that may have helped a little, but it is not for pain. Also, to explain further, I was diagnosed with DCIS Stage 3 in an apparently large area but I finally found a surgeon and radiologist who think it is simply "enhancement" and benign calcifications, so that is why I opted for the incisional biopsy, which my surgeon felt was logical to do at the same time as the nipple removal for the Paget's so it was one operation. Praying that pathology will be on my side. Plus, I got a second opinion from Dr. Laigos in California, the widely respected pathologist, who concurred that my suspicious calcifications may indeed be benign, so woo-hoo! Hope this helps calms your fears out there...!