Lumpectomy with BioZorb®

Patients who have lumpectomy surgery for breast cancer often have titanium clips left behind to allow for more targeted delivery of radiation therapy and easier monitoring of the surgical site on mammography to insure there is no evidence of recurrence. Recently, BioZorb^® 3D device has been made available to surgeons to more accurately mark the tumor biopsy cavity.

BioZorb^® is an implantable marker that consists of a spiral, bioabsorbable framework embedded with six permanent, titanium clips designed to precisely mark the surgical excision site.

Designed to improve outcomes in Breast Conserving Surgery and absorb into the body over several years, the BioZorb^® provides 3-dimensional targeting for radiation therapy.

The BioZorb^® Difference:

• Radiation: More focused, precise radiation therapy, and therefore requires less total radiation exposure. Patients who need less radiation suffer far fewer toxic side effects.
• Mammography: This more precise localization of the lumpectomy surgery cavity also allows radiologists to better follow mammograms ensuring there is no evidence of cancer recurrence. Studies have also shown minimal scarring after breast conservation therapy using BioZorb^® to mark the site.
• Cosmetic results: BioZorb^® helps eliminate deformities after breast cancer surgery replacing some of the breast tissue removed by filling up the cavity with the BioZorb^® marker that disappears over time but allows the body to fill in the cavity with healthy tissue in the interim.

Dr. Schwartz is the only surgeon in Gwinnett County who uses this device and has published a study detailing how he extends this technique to even smaller-breasted women who have larger tumors and still avoiding a breast deformity. In very thin women with minimal breast tissue and fat, Dr. Schwartz has described covering the BioZorb^® device in a special matrix so the device is not as easily noticeable under the skin which also assists in filling in the lumpectomy defect.

Lumpectomy with BioZorb^® Consultation and Procedure

During your consultation, Dr. Schwartz will discuss your biopsy results, and the use of BioZorb^® based on your breast size and shape, the extent of your abnormal tissue that needs to be removed, and your desires. He will also explain and set the right expectations for your surgical outcome. Thanks to Dr. Schwartz’s access to a private Outpatient Surgery Center, his patients can expect to have their lumpectomy scheduled immediately. Lumpectomy with BioZorb^®, just like any other breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, is covered by health insurance companies.

Often, patients are sent to the breast center (located just one floor below our surgery center) for placement of a small wire into the breast to help localize the breast cancer. Patients are then transported to our Outpatient Surgery Center where the wire, mass, and previously placed biopsy clip are removed in a minor surgical procedure, lumpectomy.

Lumpectomy with BioZorb^® is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia that takes Dr. Schwartz about thirty minutes. This surgery removes cancer and a small amount of the healthy tissue that surrounds it (margin). This ensures that all the abnormal tissue is removed. This tissue removal is followed by immediate placement of BioZorb^® and tissue rearrangement by Dr. Schwartz to achieve the best cosmetic outcome. A pathologist analyzes the margin removed by the lumpectomy to detect any possible cancer cells. A cancerous margin is “positive”, while a healthy margin is “clean” or “negative”. Another lumpectomy (re-excision lumpectomy) is performed if the margin is detected to be positive or cancerous cells are very close to the margin. It has been reported that Up to 20% of women having a lumpectomy require re-excision lumpectomy. Dr. Schwartz’s matriculate approach reduces this number to only 10% or less for his practice. Dr. Schwartz follows national guidelines for negative margins.

For patients undergoing cancer removal, Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is often performed to determine if cancer has progressed out of the breast and into other parts of the body.

Recovery and Results

Patients after lumpectomy with BioZorb^® are discharged home the same day.

Healing time varies but after a lumpectomy with BioZorb^®, you are likely to feel well enough to return to work after two or three days. You can usually resume normal physical activities after one week.  Here is what most patients report:

For the first 1 or 2 days after surgery, you will probably feel tired and experience some pain. The skin around the incision may feel firm, swollen, tender, and bruised. Tenderness should go away in about 2-3 days and the bruising within 2 weeks. Don’t be alarmed if firmness and swelling persist for 3-6 months.

Scarring is minimal as the incision is typically hidden.

Just like the pathology report you received after your biopsy; you will also receive a pathology report after a lumpectomy. The results of your pathology report will probably be ready 3 to 7 days after your surgery. Once all the results are in, Dr. Schwartz will review the pathology report with you at the next office visit and discuss the next steps.