Good Samaritan Medical Center now offers an alternative option for women undergoing a lumpectomy – a surgery which involves removing a malignant tumor and some surrounding breast tissue. This new procedure, called radioactive seed localization (RSL) provides surgeons with a more precise location of a tumor, enabling them to better plan the surgical incision.
Seed placement offers multiple benefits over the wire localization procedure, which used to be the only way to target small tumors. Since 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. Not to mention, it can be more comfortable for the patient, leading to enhanced patient satisfaction. With wire localization, the wire can become dislodged or move, which may decrease its accuracy and result in another surgery.
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 the tumor removed, the surgeon will use a handheld device that identifies the radioactivity released by the seed to detect the location of the tumor. The surgeon will then remove both the seed and tumor without any radioactivity remaining in the breast.
