Staple placed after LCIS removal?

NicolaSue

Has anyone else had a staple placed after LCIS removal. I had my LCIS removed via a vacuum assisted excision biopsy and they placed a metal staple at the same time. If there was no DCIS or invasive cancer and LCIS itself isn't cancer, what's the purpose of placing the clip.....? The clip hurts some 6 months after being placed. They didn't warn me of that!

MelissaDallas

It is to identify the area as having been previously biopsied, or if your excisional biopsy had been positive for cancer, to identify the area for re-excision. I had periodic pain for a long time after my excision, but I understand that it is from the nerves that have been disrupted. I think this is more likely than the tiny marker placed.

NicolaSue

thanks Melissa, very helpful.

Corah

I have a marker in my site after my lumpectomy last year.

I have just been and had another mammogram & biopsy done last month for another lump that I found & the marker they said was useful as they could really look at that area to check. My new Lump was benign 👍 & I think it's good that they can pin point were they were.

It does take a long time for twinges to stop, I gently massage the spot & this is how I found the new lump this time. I think of it this way " having LCIS is doing me a favour, because I am always monitored, always scanned & always tested and if/when it's something else it will be in early stages & treatable"

Every night after my shower I massage body cream into my breasts & this helps my scar fade, twinge& as my lumpectomy boob feels really different than before, it helps to get to know what the new normal feels like.

leaf

The excision almost always will cause some scarring. So the marker will alert the radiologist that the area may have some scarring. This helps in interpreting future mammograms. I assume the clip will show up in ultrasounds and MRIs, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Most clips are titanium which would interfere less with MRIs. After my MRI biopsy, they did an additional mammogram to look for the clip and area excised.

I had strange twinges for a long time both after clip placement and after excision (which removed the clip). Nerves were either disturbed or cut in either process.