Clip placement after stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy.

PURPOSE: To assess accuracy and usefulness of placement of a localizing clip after stereotactic, vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review was performed of 57 lesions that underwent placement of a localizing clip after stereotactic vacuum-assisted biopsy with an 11-gauge (n = 42) or 14-gauge (n = 15) probe. The clip was placed when images obtained after stereotactic biopsy suggested that the lesion seen at mammography was removed. Coordinates of the clip on stereotactic images obtained after placement were compared with lesion coordinates determined before biopsy. Surgery was performed in 25 cases. Mammographic and histopathologic findings were reviewed. RESULTS: The distance from clip to lesion site was less than 1 cm in 40 (95%) of 42 lesions that underwent clip placement with the 11-gauge probe versus 11 (73%) of 15 lesions that underwent clip placement after 14-gauge biopsy (P < .04). The biopsy site was identified in the surgical specimen in 19 (100%) lesions with clips after 11-gauge biopsy and five (83%) of six lesions with clips after 14-gauge biopsy. No complications occurred. CONCLUSION: A localizing clip can be placed in proximity to the stereotactic biopsy site through an 11-gauge probe. Clip placement can enable accurate localization for surgical excision.