The Breast Center at West Boca Diagnostic Imaging is providing a new alternative for women undergoing a lumpectomy – a surgery that involves removing a malignant tumor and some surrounding breast tissue. The new procedure, called radioactive seed localization (RSL), provides accurate locations for tumors and allows surgeons to better plan incisions.
Seed placement offers multiple benefits over wire localization procedure, which used to be the only way to target small tumors. Because RSL allows the seed to be implanted for up to five days before the scheduled surgery, it makes scheduling easier and reduces inpatient wait time. Additionally, it can be more comfortable for the patient, leading to enhanced patient satisfaction. With wire localization, the wire can become dislodged or moved, which may decrease its accuracy and could lead to another surgery.
“Our goal is to make patients feel as comfortable as possible when going through a difficult time in their lives,” said Mitch Feldman, West Boca Medical Center chief executive officer. West Boca’s chief of surgery. “At our comprehensive breast center, we are proud to offer another innovative procedure that will not only increase our patients’ comfort level, but also allows for more flexible scheduling.”
RSL involves a radiologist implanting a radioactive seed into the abnormal tissue of the patient. One to five days later, when the patient returns to have a tumor removed, the surgeon will use the handheld device that identifies the radioactivity released by the seed to detect the tumor’s location. The surgeon then removes the seed and tumor without any radioactivity remaining in the breast.
“Our goal is to provide state of the art surgical care and technology, utilizing a cutting edge technique and minimizing discomfort and maximizing convenience,” said Dr. Randy Kimmelman, D.O., Chief of Surgery at West Boca Medical Center.
