Feasibility of Ultrasound-Guided Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy for Breast Nodules in Patients with Retroglandular Breast Implants.

Authors

Zhaosen Meng, Sirui Wang, Pengfei Sun, Xiangdong Hu, Junfeng Zhao

Published in

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. Issue 232. Jun 05, 2026. Epub Jun 05, 2026.

Abstract

Ultrasound-guided Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy has been widely utilized as a key modality for breast nodule resection. Nevertheless, its application remains relatively contraindicated in patients who have undergone breast prosthesis placement. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ultrasound‑guided vacuum‑assisted breast biopsy (US‑VABB) for the resection of breast nodules ≤ 1.5 cm with BI-RADS 3-4a in patients with retroglandular breast implants. A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted on patients with breast nodules who underwent US-VABB in the Department of Ultrasound, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to October 2024. A total of 18 patients (18 nodules) who had previously undergone breast implant placement with implants located behind the glandular tissue were included. The complete nodule resection rate, implant-related complications, postoperative pathological results, and short-term follow-up data were analyzed. Primary outcomes included complete resection rate and implant-related complications, while secondary outcomes included pathological findings and short-term follow-up results. The maximum diameter of the nodules in the 18 patients ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 cm (mean: 1.1 ± 0.4 cm), and all nodules were completely resected in a single operation, with no evidence of residual lesions on imaging. No serious complications such as breast implant rupture or leakage occurred during or after the operation. The implant rupture rate was 0% (0/18), and minor complications occurred in 16.7% of patients. Postoperative pathology revealed fibroadenoma (n=11), breast adenosis (n=3), intraductal papilloma (n=2), atypical ductal hyperplasia (n=1), and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, n=1). The patient with DCIS underwent additional resection, with no residual tumor detected. These findings demonstrate that US-VABB is a safe and feasible minimally invasive approach for patients with retroglandular breast implants presenting with breast nodules ≤1.5 cm and BI-RADS 3-4a, with high resection success and low complication rates.

PMID:
42329812
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 23 Jun 2026.

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