Care at home Locations Abbotsford-Regional 604-851-4868 Your breast will be tender and a little Medical Imaging 2nd Floor, Fraser Wing, 32900 Marshall Road, Abbotsford swollen. You might get a bruise at the BC Cancer Agency 604-877-6000 needle site. This is normal and should go Medical Imaging, 3rd Floor, 600 West 10th Ave, General Hospital 604-795-4122 away within a few days. Medical Imaging, Main Floor, 45600 Menholm Rd, Chilliwack Return to your regular daily activities. 604-946-1121 Medical Imaging, 5800 Mountain View Boulevard, Delta Breast Biopsy Limit any arm strain on the side you had Jim Pattison Outpatient Care 604-533-3308 the biopsy. and Surgery Centre ext. 63926 Medical Imaging, 2nd Floor, 9750 140th Street, Surrey For the next 24 hours: Langley Memorial Hospital 604-533-6405 Medical Imaging, Main Floor, 22051 Fraser Highway, Langley  Wear a supportive bra. 604-984-5775  Place an ice pack over your bra on the Medical Imaging, Lower Level, 231 East 15th Street,

needle site for 10 to 15 minutes at a Mount Saint Joseph Hospital 604-877-8323 Medical Imaging, Level one, 3080 Prince Edward Street, Vancouver time. 604-531-5512  If needed, take plain acetaminophen Medical Imaging, Main Floor, 15521 Russell Ave, White Rock

(Tylenol) for pain. Powell River General Hospital 604-485-3282 Medical Imaging, 5000 Joyce Avenue, Powell River 604-278-9711 When to get help Medical Imaging, Main Floor, 7000 Westminster Hwy, Richmond Ridge Meadows Hospital 604-463-1800 Call your doctor if you have: Medical Imaging, Main Floor, 11666 Laity St., Maple Ridge

 Fever above 38.5°C (101°F), aches and 604-520-4640 Medical Imaging, Columbia Tower, 330 E. Columbia St., chills Sechelt Hospital 604-885-8608  Redness and warmth around the needle Medical Imaging, 5544 Sunshine Coast Hwy, Sechelt

site Squamish Hospital 604-892-6025 Medical Imaging, 38140 Behrner Drive, Squamish  Pain in the breast that gets worse or 604-588-3308 does not go away with pain medicine Medical Imaging, 1st Floor, Lower Level, 13750 96th Avenue, Surrey Vancouver General Hospital 604-875-4111 Go to the nearest Emergency GI/GU Department, Jim Pattison Pavilion Ext 68612 Follow–up Instructions/Appointment: Station 5, Ground Floor, 855 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver Department if you have a large amount of swelling of the breast.

www.fraserhealth.ca – www.vch.ca This information does not replace the advice given to you by your healthcare provider. November 2019 FH Catalogue # 264604 VCH Catalogue # GG.914.B749

What is a Breast Biopsy? You might need to arrange for a Does it hurt? A biopsy is a way of taking a small piece of ‘responsible adult’ to take you home It might sting or burn as the numbing tissue from your breast. We use ultrasound after this procedure. medicine is injected. You should not feel or MRI images to locate the spot to biopsy. Check with the site where you are any pain as the needle goes in. However, A breast biopsy is done to check for any scheduled for your biopsy. you might feel some pressure and abnormalities seen on other tests such as discomfort as the tissue sample is taken. an ultrasound, mammogram, or MRI. How long will it take? Are there any risks or complications? Who does the biopsy? It takes about 1 hour. Most people go home A breast biopsy is generally a safe right afterwards. It is done by a radiologist (a doctor who procedure. Complications are rare. specializes in image guided procedures). What happens during the biopsy? Any time the skin is pierced or cut, there is a chance of infection. Other possible The radiologist uses ultrasound or MRI to Can I bring a relative or friend? complications include: confirm the location for the biopsy and the Yes, they can stay with you before and - bleeding at the site safest approach. after the procedure. However, for reasons - bleeding into the surrounding tissue of safety and regulations, they cannot be in You are given numbing medicine to ‘freeze’ You can ask questions about the risks the room during the procedure. We will tell the skin. before you sign the consent form. you where family members can wait. You might feel some pressure when the biopsy needle is inserted. When will I get the results? What happens before the biopsy? It is important that you stay very still The radiologist can tell you if there is Our Medical Imaging Department contacts during the procedure. enough tissue for testing. you with specific instructions on how to prepare for the biopsy. Once done and the biopsy needle is To find out the results of the test, make removed, we put pressure over the area to an appointment with the doctor who Your doctor will tell you which stop any bleeding. asked for this test. medications you must stop taking before the biopsy.

HealthLinkBC 8-1-1 Call any time you have any questions or concerns. HealthLinkBC is open 24 hours. Available in 130 languages. For an interpreter, say your language in English. Wait until an interpreter comes on the phone. Breast Biopsy over…