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Breast biopsy - Risks

Alternative Names

Biopsy - breast; Open breast biopsy

What the risks are:

There is a slight chance of infection at the injection or incision site.

Excessive bleeding is rare, but may require draining or re-bandaging. Bruising is common.

There will be a small scar. Depending on the amount of tissue removed and how the breast heals, the appearance of the breast may be affected.

Female Breast

Needle biopsy of the breast

Open biopsy of the breast

Female breast biopsy

Breast lump removal - series

Reviewed last on: 9/10/2009
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Abeloff MD, Wolff AC, Weber BL, et al. Cancer of the breast. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG. Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008: chap 95.

Whitman GJ. Ultrasound-guided breast biopsies. Ultrasound Clin. 2006;1:603-615.

Kim CH, Bassett LW. Imaging-guided core needle biopsy of the breast. In: Bassett LW, Jackson VP, Fu KL, Fu, YS. Diagnosis of Diseases of the Breast. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2005:chap 17.

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