A surgical breast biopsy requires an incision in the skin. This allows your doctor to take a large sample of tissue from the breast. In fact, the whole lump is often removed. The sample is then sent to a lab for study.

Open surgical biopsy

Open surgical biopsy removes a tissue sample through a skin incision. To keep you from feeling pain during the biopsy, you are likely to be given intravenous (IV) sedation. This produces a light sleep and you don't feel the surgery. Your surgeon then makes one incision in your breast. If possible, this is done in a way that hides the scar. In most cases, all of the lump is removed. The incision is closed with stitches. Some stitches dissolve on their own. Others may need to be removed when the incision heals.

Wire localization

A lump that can’t be felt may be hard to locate. In such a case, a mammogram or ultrasound is used to locate the area. One or more thin guide wires may be placed in your breast before biopsy surgery to mark the tissue that is to be removed. Then you’re taken to the operating room for surgery. The wire is removed during the biopsy