CRYOABLATION TREATMENT OF BENIGN BREAST TUMOURS
FREEZING TREATMENT OF BENIGN BREAST TUMORS
Highly commended by Gábor Forrai MD, expert radiologist and former President of the European Society of Breast Imaging
The freezing treatment of fibroadenoma is a painless, minimally invasive solution, which does not affect the shape of your breast (there is no tissue removal), making the procedure gentle and aesthetically rewarding.
HOW IS THE CRYOABLATION PROCEDURE PERFORMED?
The cryoablation treatment takes place in a designated room of Premier Med Healthcare, Training and Research Institute. The procedure is performed by a team of expert specialists. An expert with a licence examination in Complex Breast Imaging will also participate in designing the treatment which is performed by an interventional radiologist with the support of an interventional radiology assistant.
Before the procedure, the assistant will ask you to change into the clothing provided on the spot. After this, you will be asked to lie on the examination table so the radiologist can plan the most appropriate posture for the procedure and will decide which is the safest point of introduction in your case.
The procedure is performed under sterile conditions. Local anaesthetic will be applied on the skin above the puncture. Then the physician makes a small incision and introduces the needle to the desired area. When the local anaesthetic is applied, you feel a little sting, but you are not likely to feel any sharp pain during the procedure.
Following the application of local anaesthetic, your physician will use ultrasonic imaging to guide a small probe (thin, hollow needle) into the fibroadenoma. Extremely cold temperatures are used to destroy (ablate) the targeted fibroadenoma.
The preparations, the procedure and postoperative care (bandaging, control examinations) will take approximately one hour in the surgery room.
The cryoablation treatment takes place in a designated room of Premier Med Healthcare, Training and Research Institute. The surgery is performed by a team of specialists led by an interventional radiologist (a radiology expert who also performs surgeries). An interventional radiology assistant is also present helping the physician in the preparations and performing classical assistant tasks. An expert with a licence examination in Complex Breast Imaging will also participate in designing the treatment. An anaesthesiologist will also attend at the procedure in every case.
Before the procedure, in the relaxation room the assistant will ask you to remove your clothes and jewellery and you will have to change into the treatment clothing (surgery garment) provided on the spot. After this, you will be asked to lie on the examination table; the radiologist will plan the most appropriate posture for the procedure and will decide which is the safest point of introduction in your case.
The cryoablation treatment is performed in sterile conditions; the radiologist will also be wearing sterile clothing, gloves and a cap and mask to protect their head and face.
The assistant then will spray antiseptic fluid on the surgical site (to disinfect it), and will cover the area around the incisions site with sterile textiles. It is essential that this sterilized area must not be touched with bare hands afterwards, therefore major movements are to be avoided. Let the assistant know immediately if you need help.
Local anaesthetic will be applied on the skin above the puncture. If you are sensitive (allergic) to it, we will apply anaesthetic of a different kind. Then the physician makes a small incision and introduces the needle to the desired area. When the local anaesthetic is applied, you feel a little sting, but as the anaesthetic takes effect, the pain will quickly abate. Fastening the needle in the right position will only cause blunt pressure, and you may feel pulls, pressure or palpation during the procedure but you are not likely to feel any strong or sharp pain. Please, inform your physician of any discomfort you may experience during the procedure.
Following the application of local anaesthetic, your physician will use ultrasonic imaging to guide a small probe (thin, hollow needle) into the fibroadenoma. Extremely cold temperatures are used to destroy (ablate) the targeted fibroadenoma. The preparations, the procedure and postoperative care (bandaging, follow-up examinations) shall take approximately one hour in the surgery room.
DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIBROADENOMA AND THE INNOVATIVE CRYOABLATION PROCEDURE
This information below aims to give you an overview of the benign breast tumour and the procedure we offer to treat such tumours, to provide answers for some of your questions and serves as a point of departure when you discuss the treatment with your physician.
The information below is not in lieu of medical advice provided by your physician. It may, however, help you ask questions in connection with the procedure.
We do our best to give you an exhaustive overview during the consultation, but we always have time allocated to answering any further questions you may have, so we can clarify on any issues you may have about the procedure: we are Your team.
Cryoablation is an approved treatment in the United States, in Europe and in Hungary.
Its purpose is to destroy fibroadenomas, and as a full and complete procedure it is an alternative to open surgery. The extreme cold temperatures completely destroy the target tissue.
Cryoablation technology has been used for decades to effectively destroy benign and cancerous tumours in prostate, liver, kidney and other organs. In recent years the technology and procedure have been optimized for treating breast fibroadenomas. If you have been diagnosed with a benign breast tumour, make an appointment for a consultation with us, so we can determine together whether this procedure, which is much gentler than traditional surgery, can be applied in your case.
WHAT IS A FIBROADENOMA?
Fibroadenomas are one of the most common types of benign breast tumours (lumps). They are solid masses (unlike cysts, they are not fluid-filled), have clearly-defined edges and are typically round or oval in shape. Fibroadenomas are benign, that is they are not cancerous tumours and they do not become malignant. They may increase in size over time, but it is usually caused by hormonal changes.
Certain fibroadenomas are palpable in the breast tissue. Some remain unchanged for years, while in certain cases some may grow to a size larger than a golf ball over time. Some women find these lumps uncomfortable and bothersome and may have associated pain or tenderness. In some cases, fibroadenomas can physically deform the breast. The level of anxiety with these breast masses is personal.
HOW ARE FIBROADENOMAS DETECTED?
Fibroadenomas are usually found during a breast self-examination, or a clinical examination. Further studies may be done: ultrasound, mammography, or other imaging such as MRI. While fibroadenomas tend to have a typical appearance on physical exam and imaging, the diagnosis must be confirmed through biopsy, as no imaging study can fully ensure that a lump is indeed benign.
A definitive diagnosis is made by taking a tissue sample (biopsy). Most often, a minimally-invasive, image-guided biopsy is performed.
Those treatments are called minimally-invasive which are performed with new technologies, without major cuts on the body).
This procedure is performed by your physician in the office, under local anaesthesia. Usually, ultrasound is used to guide a needle biopsy device into the breast and capture a small tissue sample. The sample is sent to a pathologist, who will then examine the tissue sample microscopically and will determine if it is indeed a fibroadenoma or some other type of lesion. Most women can return to work or other normal activities following the procedure. Pathology results are usually available in 5-10 days.
WHY IS CRYOABLATION (FREEZING) SUPERIOR TO TRADITIONAL OPEN SURGERY?
In the case of the state-of-the-art, no breast tissue is removed, and the procedure creates cosmetically superior results. Cryoablation does not affect the shape of your breast. Possible change in size due to the absorption of the fibroadenoma will be considerably less significant than after an open surgery. The procedure is comfortable and painless, as the cold acts with the local anaesthesia to numb the area. No sutures are required; as the procedure is performed using only a small skin nick. An adhesive steri-strip alone will suffice to close the puncture site. As with a needle biopsy, many women can return to work or their normal activity quickly.
The greatest advantage of this innovative, state-of-the-art technology is that you do not need to reckon with the risks of anaesthesia, while the medical results of cryoablation are equivalent to those of the traditional open surgery. You can spend the short convalescent period in a most comfortable environment and due to the fast recovery, you can resume your normal life very soon. Based on preliminary studies, expert physicians assume that the procedure has immune-boosting effects; researches are ongoing to confirm these findings.
Choose us and minimize the waiting time for treatment. We can give you an appointment at the earliest convenience and from the very first consultation you will have our undivided attention. Our profession and our commitment to our patients motivated us to provide an environment where our patients can make themselves at home while enjoying a comfortable and discreet stay leading to a fast recovery.
WHEN WILL THE LUMP GO AWAY?
The fibroadenoma cells will be destroyed (ablated) during the cryoablation procedure. Your body will then reabsorb those destroyed cells over time. You will have a palpable mass in your breast while your body naturally reabsorbs the treated cells. The time to reabsorb the tissue varies, depending on the initial size of the mass and other factors. In some rare cases a small lump remains on the treatment site, which is not necessarily fibroadenoma tissue, and it is certainly benign. If you find a new palpable mass developing in or around the place of the treated fibroadenoma, please consult us or a breast imaging expert for an examination.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF A CRYOABLATION PROCEDURE?
Cryoablation is a very safe procedure; a number of studies have been concluded during which hardly any complications or side effects have been identified. Possible complications include swelling of the target area, moderate pain or mild freezing of the skin surface at the incision site. In extremely rare cases patients may experience skin redness, inflammation, hematoma, or tissue necrosis over the expected level. Possible formation of scar, sclerosis, fat necrosis may be insignificant side effects of the procedure.
The treatment causes no long-term pain. Cryoablation is not suitable for the treatment of pain caused by mastopathy or hormonal processes.
Cryoablation is in no way linked with the development of breast cancer.
It must be noted that cryoablation does not prevent the possible development of breast cancer, therefore the patient will have to continue to attend the regular screening examinations.
As it may adversely affect future breastfeeding, our physicians never perform the procedure on the nipple and the areola.
Fibroadenomas are often multiple lesions, that is, the first occurrence may indicate a higher risk of developing more fibroadenomas in the future. That is why regular (annual) ultrasound monitoring is necessary. Follow-up examinations are due four weeks and 1 year after the procedure.
At future breast examinations inform your radiologist of your previous cryoablation procedures.
CONSULT WITH OUR EXPERTS SO WE CAN HELP YOU!
Choose us and minimize the waiting time for treatment. We can give you an appointment at the earliest convenience.
Our physicians
DR. DEÁK PÁL ÁKOS PH.D.
Interventional radiologist, radiologist, associate professor
DR. DOROS ATTILA PH.D.
Interventional radiologist, radiologist, associate professor
TREATMENT OF BENIGN BREAST TUMOURS – PRICES:
- Consultation with ultrasound examination: 40 000 Ft
- Core Biopsy: 85 000 Ft
- Fibroadenoma cryoablation: 970 000 Ft
