Why is a surgical clip appointment needed before lumpectomy?

I am in same situation. My surgeon, whom I love, said that the markers put in during biopsy are so that with future mammograms they can tell that area has been addressed. Obviously that is more important when they are binine. When they see the marker they know they don’t have to keep testing. The surgeon said she is not able to see those markers in her equipment so the clip goes in so that she knows exactly where to go during surgery.

Oh ok thank u!! Did u get this procedure already done? Is it painful worse than biopsy or same?

I have not had done yet sorry…. July for ne

Thanks for letting me know! Hope you have a good outcome! ❤️

Hope your mom does as well…… it’s a whole lot!

I found the procedure did not hurt at all although they did mildly ‘brace’ me for it with a gentle 3-2-1… I hope it will be as painless for both of you

I had lumpectomy and had biopsy clip and surgical clip placed the day I had surgery. My surgeon said the 2 markers would help eliminate extra breast tissue and it is a breast saving lumpectomy.

I had lumpectomy 2 years ago. I had markers placed during biopsy, so future mammograms they can also tell the area already addressed. For me, this is very important because I had several mammograms because the area addressed was very "cloudy."" For the biopsy I had a pain relaxer where I was not sleep and could answer the questions as the surgeon proceeded. There was no pain, and he prescribed tylenol. For the lumpectomy, my surgeon requested I be put to sleep as she removed the tumor from my breast and lumphnods from under my arm. Before these procedures, please ask questions. Also, there are SIDE EFFECTS. I had to have my breast drained of fluid after the lumpectomy several times as I healed. This procedure was done by my surgeon and painless. Again, please ask questions, especially if you are scheduled for chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Blessings to all.

It helps the surgeon go right to the tumor. It’s already been identified and they don’t have to guess, and helps to guide their margins. That’s what I was told

I had a lumpectomy one week ago. They put the surgical marker in the day before surgery. it felt similar to a biopsy, except instead of multiple pinches it felt like one longer probe. Some discomfort when they were numbing it first, but not too bad. Mostly, it was a feeling of pressure. After that, they have to do a “gentle” mammogram to make sure the marker is in the right place. Best of luck to your mom!

Oh thank you for letting me know. I find it odd that they are putting my moms clip in almost a week before surgery.. does it feel uncomfortable like can you tell it’s in there?

My surgeon put in the clip a couple of days before my surgery, I didn’t have any discomfort. But she also told me she would remove the clip during the surgery. The markers that the radiologist put in stay in. At least that’s what they told me.

I don’t really know the difference but I had ‘ markers’ placed - had lumpectomy and 2 nodes removed after 1 tested + - but all margins clean; Hope for the best after 10 radiation tx - no chemo 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hi Mary F! My mom got the clip in today and it wasn’t bad at all she said the mri guided biopsy was worse than this procedure and she doesn’t feel it at all. Next week surgery lumpectomy praying it all goes well .. glad you are on a good path as well🙏🙏❤️

AK your Mom is very fortunate to have you there to help her in this process

Thank you all

Hi all. My name is Joni and I had my lumpectomy back in April. Recovery time was about 2 weeks no heavy lifting but walking is good. Surgeon placed what's called a magseed to see which lymph nodes to remove and this was day of surgery. It was outpatient took only about 1-2 hrs. Then I was sent home and was told to take tylenol for pain. Ice packs really helped so keep those handy. Surgeon removed 4 lymph nodes and all were negative thank the lord. As of now still have numbness under right armpit where the lymph nodes were removed, but other than that it wasn't too bad. Hope everything goes well sending prayers and positive vibes for a speedy recovery. Warmly Joni C.

Hello all! I am now able to speak more intelligently! I had the gps clip put in week before surgery. NO BIG DEAL! They numbed me… soft mammo after… no pain Lumpectomy past Friday! I’m 60 hours out and gave only taken Tylenol! No swelling, very slight bruising. Biggest complaint is this bra I have to wear 24/7. My words of wisdom…. Make sure you have a connection with your team. Before I got wheeled in to surgery the breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, and anesthesiologist were all in my room making me laugh out loud!!! So supportive! Cheerleading! Obviously stress not gone as I wait for labs to come back but it’s a journey!!! Find doctors you trust and connect to!

I had one put in during the biposy it was used to locate the area but it was removed at the time of surgery, for me right now is the pain after the surgery and the meds make me constantly sleepy

I had that done also. It does seem like the marker and clip is the same. They say there's a difference. The marker shows them where to put the clip. The clip shows the surgeon where to operate.

It's completely understandable to want clarity on the different procedures before surgery. While titanium markers from the MRI-guided biopsy help identify the biopsy site, additional surgical clips may be placed to mark the exact boundaries of the area that needs to be removed during lumpectomy. The surgical team can provide the most accurate explanation of why this specific step is needed in this particular case, so asking them directly about the purpose and timing would be the best way to get peace of mind about the treatment plan.