I am actually going for this procedure tomorrow. I am terrified!!! I am not good with needles so I hope its quick and painless. Thank you for you description of your experience. It helps knowing others went thru it. I wish they would use the other way without the wire to find the lump. Your already stressed then you have to go thru this before you even get the surgery. I hope you are doing well now. God bless you always.

That sounds like a really challenging situation. I would recommend reaching out to another surgeon or radiologist to see if you can get to the bottom of it. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that! I would be frustrated too!

I enjoyed your experience and knowledge.
I have a lumpectomy on right breast and used the wires and hook.
6 days after surgery I went to surgeon to see if fluid needed to be drained. I had this white pimple looking thing that had a sharp tip. The nurse got Doctor to look at it and she said that is where the wire and hook was placed in my breast. I said yes I know but, it hurts and has sharp wire thing on the white pimple looking thing. The Dr said it must be a blood vessel that broke loose. Two weeks went by to see if I need fluid drained and I did at this visit and nurse didn’t do anything about this . Two weeks later I went back to see if I had fluid and still there. Dr told me she wasn’t going to go surgery on me anymore . I went to get mapped to start radiation and a cT scan on a Thurs and on Friday night the wire popped out of that pimple and went back in to breast. It moved around and I can feel it. I went to radiation oncologist and he mentioned to me that there was the wire and hook in my breast. The surgeon didn’t take the wire and hook out and will not admit to her error and will not do anything about this. I am suppose to start radiation. I had surgery March 8, 2024 and today is June 9, 2024. What do I need to do. Surgeon forgot to remove it. I am very upset.

Sandi, I am absolutely appalled that localization would be done without local anesthetic. I cannot imagine this being appropriate. So dreadful. I’m so sorry your mom endured that and I do hope that the feedback to the medical team was given. I’m so sorry that was her experience. That should NOT have happened.

Kaiser patients need to understand what is going to happen and DEMAND local anesthesia. But they don’t know that this is going to happen at all, and they are totally unprepared for it. I watched my mother cry (and she didn’t do that easily). Many nurses in radiology have told me that the women they’ve spoken to said it was the most painful excruciating procedure they’ve ever had done.

Thank you for bringing this procedure to light so women can be more prepared. Kaiser patients need to step up our game and be more proactive so they give the patients a local anesthetic during the wire localization.

Thank you.

Glad you resonated with my descriptions! I can’t imagine having 4 wires! That’s a lot! Hope that your results appointment goes well and that your recovery is progressing smoothly. Best wishes throughout this part of the process.

I’m so sorry to hear that your MRI guided biopsy was so terrible. I found the wire guided process to be easier than the biopsies, especially the wire went into my biopsy clip locator. I didn’t enjoy it, but it was faster than the biopsies because they weren’t collecting samples. Hope it goes smoothly for you!

I’m so glad that you found it informative. It was a new procedure for me, and I think that others would benefit from knowing what to expect!