Surgical biopsy

Surgical biopsy is normally used when the other types of biopsies were unable to reach a conclusive diagnosis. Additionally, it can also used when the breast area under suspicion is too deep or too superficial to use needles. 

A surgical biopsy is done in a surgery room, but usually as a day case (no overnight stay). The patient is sedated, but awake since general anesthetic it is not necessary. The surgeon makes a small incision, and removes the suspicious abnormal mass, or a representative sample, depending on the tumor size and location.