mri guided biopsy vs stereotactic

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scaredycatwoman
scaredycatwoman Member Posts: 77

Hi  
I have had 2 biopsies now--a stereotactic and an mri guided biopsy...

While I was perified of the sound of the stereotactic biopsy when I first started reading about it, I found it was not so bad. I felt one pinch from the first injection to numb things and that was pretty much it.  While my bruise was and still is intense (I had it about 10 days ago), I experienced no pain to speak of after the procedure

 I had a much tougher time with the MRI quided biopsy even though I had read posts and was told by the techs that the MRI guided biopsy would be easier.  It seemed like the dr had to use several injections to numb the site and each did hurt.  Also, I experienced pain at the biopsy site from the minute the pocedure ended for a few days.

Anyone have similar experiences...I am wondering if I just had a really good dr on the stereotactic and a not so good doctor on the mri guided biopsy

Comments

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited March 2012

    Sorry that you had a painful experience. My radiologist did both, in the same breast. The procedures didn't bother me but it felt like a truck had runner over my breast for a few days.

    Caryn

  • scaredycatwoman
    scaredycatwoman Member Posts: 77
    edited March 2012

    Hi  Thanks for your reply    I was wondering how much time in between the SB and the MRI guided biopsy and if they were done on the same site on the breast or different area.  Also, did all of the bruising go away?

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited March 2012

    I had one right after the other, just walked from one room to the next, each was done on a different area of the same breast using mammo and us imaging . They offered to schedule for me on two different days but I just wanted to be done with it.

    Caryn

  • crystalphm
    crystalphm Member Posts: 1,138
    edited March 2012

    I had a terrible time with the MRI guided biopsy, It took almost 4 hours, and the recovery involved a hematoma and quite a bit of pain.. Very unpleasant.

    There are many who agree MRI biopsies can be very difficult...

  • CTMOM1234
    CTMOM1234 Member Posts: 633
    edited March 2012

    I had the opposite experience. The stereo.biopsy wasn't too bad at the time but I developed a pretty impressive baseball-sized painful and hard bruise from it that didn't go away until the surgeon removed it during the lumpectomy. In fact, I was afraid that the bruise was going to delay my surgery.

    The MRI-guided biopsy was on the other breast a week or so after the stereo. and I was petrified that it would bruise me like the stereo. It was fine, easy breezy, was out in about the same time as the stereo. (maybe even less time truthfully) and was so surprised that I had no brusing. I wasn't thrilled about the claustrophobic feeling from the MRI, but the recovery was nothing compared to the stereo.

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