Before surgery
You may have up to three appointments before the day of your lumpectomy surgery.
- The first appointment is to make sure you are fit and safe for surgery
(this is called the pre-anesthesia assessment). - Some patients also have an appointment to inject a small localizing seed into the breast. Your surgeon's office will confirm if you need this appointment.
- You may also have a sentinel lymph node injection appointment before the day of surgery. Your surgeon's office will confirm if this applies to you.
Pre-anesthesia Assessment
During the assessment a nurse will ask you about your medical history, the medications you take and will talk to you about any special needs you might have after your surgery.
- The assessment may be done over the phone or in-person at the hospital.
- Patients who don’t have other medical conditions are usually assessed over the phone.
- The pre-anesthesia clinic will phone to tell you whether you will have an assessment by phone or in-person at the hospital.
- The pre-anesthesia clinic will also tell you the date and time of the appointment.
If you have a telephone assessment appointment:
- Make sure the hospital has a phone number that you can be reached at during the day.
- The nurse will call your daytime number around the time of your appointment. Please keep in mind the nurse may fall behind schedule with other patients. The nurse may call you at any time within the hour of your scheduled appointment.
If you have an in-person hospital assessment appointment:
- Please check-in at B1 11 (B-wing, 1st floor, room 402).
- You will meet with a nurse, and may also meet with a pharmacist and the doctor (the anesthesiologist) who will put you to sleep in the operating room when you have surgery.
- Please eat and take all your regular medications before you come to this appointment.
What do I need to bring to the in-person hospital assessment appointment?
- If you do not read or speak English, it is helpful to bring someone who will be your translator.
- Please bring only 1 family member or friend to the appointment.
Please bring:
- Your Ontario Health Card.
- The name and telephone number of your family doctor.
- The names and telephone numbers of any specialists who treat your medical conditions.
- All of your medications in the containers they came in. These include pills, inhalers or puffers, injections, and eye drops. Also bring any herbal medicines or vitamins you take.
- A paper copy of this guide.
Seed Injection (Localization) Appointment
Your surgeon will tell you if you will need a seed injection (localization) appointment before your lumpectomy surgery. In this appointment, a small localizing seed will be injected very close to the abnormal tissue in your breast. The seed is about the size of a grain of rice and gives off a radioactive signal. During your lumpectomy surgery the surgeon will use a special probe that can find a signal from the seed. This helps the surgeon find the abnormal breast tissue. Knowing the lump’s exact location will mean less breast tissue will need to be removed.
Where do I go for the seed injection?
- You will get a phone call from your surgeon’s office to tell you the date and time of your seed injection appointment.
- The appointment will take place in Sunnybrook’s Breast Imaging Department. It is in M Wing, 6th Floor, Room 205. (Take the elevators in M Wing to reach the 6th floor and then turn left to reach room M6 205 in the Breast Centre.)
What happens during the seed injection?
- A radiologist and technologist will do the procedure.
- A local anesthetic is used to freeze your breast. You may feel a slight burning at first. The breast will then feel numb during the rest of the procedure.
- Mammogram and ultrasound imaging are used to locate the lump in your breast.
- A needle is used to place the seed beside the abnormal breast tissue.
- A mammogram or ultrasound image will make sure the seed is in the right place.
- The technologist may apply adhesive paper skin tapes (known as Steri-Strips) or a bandage, if required at the needle site.
- You do not need to do anything with the Steri-Strips.
When will the seed be removed?
- The surgeon takes out the seed during your lumpectomy surgery.
