After your Mammogram... you may be required to return for further studies. You may need to have a Galactagram or a Core Biopsy. These exams are ordered only after all the preliminary films have been done.
Galactagram
This is an exam to assist in diagnosis of breast discharge (leakage of
fluid from a duct in your nipple). For this exam, the radiologist will insert a
small tube into the leaking duct through
your nipple. When the tube is in place, the doctor will inject a small
amount of x-ray dye into your duct. The technologist and radiologist
will then take pictures to show if you have
blockage or filling defects in the ducts.
This exam usually takes about an hour and
you will be able to return home immediately afterward. You will want to
take it easy for the rest of the day after your biopsy. 
Biopsy
Radiologists do breast biopsies using either x-rays or ultrasound to
assist in guiding the needle to the proper place in your breast.
The x-ray technique is known as the Stereotactic method. This technique is used primarily for suspicious calcifications.
More commonly, the biopsy procedure is done using ultrasound to guide the procedure. You can read about these procedures here.
Stereotactic Biopsy
In a Stereo Core Biopsy, you will be positioned face down on a special table which enables the
doctor to work with your breast. Next, you will receive a local anesthetic. The table has an attachment that acts
like a mammography unit in the way that it compresses your breast.
Then x-rays will be taken at two different angles. Our computer then analyzes these x-rays to determine the location for the biopsy.
The doctor will insert a needle into your breast and the tissue is quickly extracted with a special vacuum.
The biopsy specimens are taken to the laboratory for preparation and analysis by pathologists. Your results will probably be ready for the radiologist to review within 24 to 48 hours. After the radiologist has a chance to study these, we will call you to discuss the findings.
This exam usually takes about an hour and
you will be able to return home immediately afterward. You will want to
take it easy for the rest of the day after your biopsy.
Often, a procedure similar to the Stereo Core Biopsy (above) is done using ultrasound instead of an x-ray to assist us further in accurately locating your mass.
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