Core Needle biopsy mishap

sarajean

Hello, I had a core needle biopsy done, with 4 samples taken, and come to find out a few days later that the doctor didn't get the targeted area, he took them from the wrong spot. So I had to go through a stereotactic biopsy about a week later. Through all of this I had to have a total of 5 mammograms and one ultrasound besides these two procedures. My question is, is it common for the doctor to not hit the right spot when he does a core needle biopsy, has anyone else had this happen?

RosieRed

I had to have an MRI guided biopsy on my right side. The doctor made his small cut to get the biopsy and then noticed that he wasn’t in the right spot and had to adjust where he was aiming. Luckily it was all done in one visit. I’m sorry that you are going through this.

sarajean

I wish he would have caught mine as he was doing it and the fact that he was using an ultrasound as a guide, is why I can't understand why he couldn't see that he wasn't in the right spot.

pegasus68

I'm sorry you have had this trouble. I have had 4 needle biopsies (3 US, 1 MRI) over the last few years that all went smoothly. However, my last (5th) needle biopsy (stereotactic mammo-guided), it took them four tries and 26 core samples - and they still recovered only 'minimal' microcalcifications; I guess it was a tough spot to hit. But even though it was a long arduous procedure, at least it was completed at one time. I'm sorry you had to go back. I hope you get a benign result!

gypsyjo

I had the same experience, except I found out the same day that the area that was biopsied was not the spot of concern. They took one more mammogram after the biopsy to make sure that the small seed they left to mark the spot showed up on the mammogram in the exact place that they were watching. It wasn't the same. The area biopsied turned out benign, but the area that they had to do a sterotactic biopsy the following week turned out to be IDC. If part of their process at the center I went to was to do an additional mammogram to check the location, it must be more common than one would think.