There are several types of breast biopsies, including imaging-guided biopsy and surgical biopsies. An imaging-guided breast biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure performed by a doctor who is specially trained in breast procedures. Imaging is used to guide a needle to the area of concern to take small tissue samples, which are then sent to the lab for evaluation.
During a biopsy, you’ll be awake the whole time. While you can expect to be at the medical site for a total of one to one-and-a-half hours, the actual biopsy takes fewer than 20 minutes. Results are usually available in three to five business days.
Radiologists in the Sutter Health network perform the following imaging-guided biopsies.