Is stereotactic biopsy that same as vacuum?

shabby6485 · February 2012

Just wondering. Does anyone know if they are the same thing? I heard stereotactic vacuum assisted biopsies are more accurate than the stereotactics with needles because they get more tissue.

Not sure which one I had. Just remember a "shooting" sound when they were collecting the tissue.

I think I better stay off the internet. Some times too much info leads to higher anxiety....

leaf · February 2012

Stereotactic means they use spacial clues to help localize the lesion. In more recent times, I think this normally means they use a computer. In general, bigger tissue samples are easier for the pathologist to read than smaller ones, because in larger samples there is less friction, thus less distortion of the tissue.

There are so many other variables that I really don't know if it makes a lot of difference. I haven't read the papers carefully enough, though. I would think that sampling a breast is like sampling a bowl of wiggly jello, so I'm sure there's many variables to compare.

Here's more from Medscape about core vs vacuum biopsies. Note that the larger the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the needle. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1845123-overview#a15

financegirl · March 2012

I've had two stereotactics and both were vacuum assisted. They used a mammogram machine to locate the area, a computer assisted needle collected the actual lesion or lump or whatever, put into a petri dish and then they always vacuumed the tissue around it and dropped a clip there before closing me up. It may very well be that I knew it was happening since both times the doctor asked if a student could observe. When that happens you get a play by play of everything they are doing to you. My doctor said I always got the students b/c I was such a veteran of all things "biopsy".

Is stereotactic biopsy that same as vacuum?

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