‘Cupping’ the breast—a simple technique used in wire-guided local excision of impalpable breast lesions

Abstract

Localisation wires are commonly inserted to aid excision of impalpable breast lesions. The wire is usually introduced through a needle and the needle usually removed leaving the wire in place. The wire is malleable, so that its free end can be strapped to the skin of the breast. A disadvantage is that the malleable wire is less easily palpable intraoperatively than the needle. If the needle is left over the guide-wire, the stiffness of the needle usually prevents strapping it to the breast skin especially if it has been inserted at 908 to the skin surface. We describe a simple technique to prevent accidental displacement of the localisation device during wirelocalised excision of impalpable breast lesions.