In some cases, your provider may suggest surgery to remove all or part of a lump for examination under a microscope. An excisional biopsy is used to remove the entire lesion, or breast abnormality such as a lump or area containing calcifications. The surgeon will also remove a small amount of healthy surrounding tissue, known as a margin.
A surgical biopsy is usually performed in the hospital outpatient department using local anesthesia. During the biopsy, the surgeon may use a procedure called a wire localization to help locate the lump or area of interest, especially if the lump is too small to locate by touch. After numbing the area with local anesthesia, a thin hollow needle is placed into the breast and x-ray pictures are taken to guide the needle to the suspicious area. A thin wire is placed through the center of the needle. A small hook at the end of the wire keeps it in place. The hollow needle is then removed, and the surgeon uses the wire as a guide to locate the abnormal area to be removed.