Clamps?

sylvan
sylvan Member Posts: 66
in Breast Cancer #1
I had my 6-month mammogram last week. I was surprised to see that there are two clamps inside of me. I'm guessing by the location they were placed there when they removed the lymph nodes as they are close to that surgery site and not close to where the cancer was located. Is this normal? Does anyone else have clamps? I'm sort of concerned because this is close to where the lump is that has been bothering me so much.

Comments

  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #2
    Titanium Markers
    Marker clips are used for breast biopsies and are made of titanium or surgical stainless steel and are about 2 millimeters in size. When the radiologist or surgeon feels a marker should be used, they are inserted at the end of breast core or needle biopsy procedures to mark the site of the biopsy for later reference. This is an important step to take since most abnormalities biopsied are small or subtle and can become extremely difficult or impossible to identify after a core biopsy procedure.

    When a biopsy result is abnormal and an excision or lumpectomy is necessary, the marker clip allows accurate localization of the abnormal site for removal so that as little tissue as necessary is removed while optimizing the chance of clear margins. The presence of the marker is very reassuring when seen on follow-up mammograms; it shows exactly where the area was biopsied. This avoids confusion in interpretation of follow-up mammograms and can prevent the need for future biopsies in that same area.

    The marker is safe; sensitivity to the material is very rare. In general women cannot feel the clip. They do not set off airport detectors and do not cause interference problems in MRI.

    I hope this was helpful information for you. I have several markers myself and have seen them on various scans.

    IRENE
  • sylvan
    sylvan Member Posts: 66
    #3
    jessiesmom1 said:

    Titanium Markers
    Marker clips are used for breast biopsies and are made of titanium or surgical stainless steel and are about 2 millimeters in size. When the radiologist or surgeon feels a marker should be used, they are inserted at the end of breast core or needle biopsy procedures to mark the site of the biopsy for later reference. This is an important step to take since most abnormalities biopsied are small or subtle and can become extremely difficult or impossible to identify after a core biopsy procedure.

    When a biopsy result is abnormal and an excision or lumpectomy is necessary, the marker clip allows accurate localization of the abnormal site for removal so that as little tissue as necessary is removed while optimizing the chance of clear margins. The presence of the marker is very reassuring when seen on follow-up mammograms; it shows exactly where the area was biopsied. This avoids confusion in interpretation of follow-up mammograms and can prevent the need for future biopsies in that same area.

    The marker is safe; sensitivity to the material is very rare. In general women cannot feel the clip. They do not set off airport detectors and do not cause interference problems in MRI.

    I hope this was helpful information for you. I have several markers myself and have seen them on various scans.

    IRENE

    marker vs clamp
    I had a marker inserted when they did the biopsy. That was removed when they did the partial mastectomy. These are two clamps (what the radiologist called them) that look like staples. They are at least 1/2 an inch long (no idea how that compares to cm). They are at the edge of my armpit. The cancer was located in the lower right quadrant of my breast, no where near these clamps.
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #4
    sylvan said:

    marker vs clamp
    I had a marker inserted when they did the biopsy. That was removed when they did the partial mastectomy. These are two clamps (what the radiologist called them) that look like staples. They are at least 1/2 an inch long (no idea how that compares to cm). They are at the edge of my armpit. The cancer was located in the lower right quadrant of my breast, no where near these clamps.

    I have them too. I found out
    I have them too. I found out when I had my mammo after my lumpectomy. I was concerned with what material they were when I needed an MRI and my surgeon said they were no problem.
  • sylvan
    sylvan Member Posts: 66
    #5
    Lighthouse_7 said:

    I have them too. I found out
    I have them too. I found out when I had my mammo after my lumpectomy. I was concerned with what material they were when I needed an MRI and my surgeon said they were no problem.

    thanks
    Thanks for letting me know you have them as well. I was concerned that they had been "left" in by mistake. Apparently not. Good to know I'm not alone.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #6
    pre surgery I know they
    pre surgery I know they inserted some kind of markers..not sure if clamps...

    Denise
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #7
    disneyfan2008 said:

    pre surgery I know they
    pre surgery I know they inserted some kind of markers..not sure if clamps...

    Denise

    My surgeon calls them "clips," I have 30 of them
    I had bilateral lumpectomies and sentinel node biopsies in 2009 -- during surgery, my surgeon left behind titanium markers that he calls "clips." He made it sound like it would be "just a few."

    At my first post-treatment mammogram, I was astonished when the mammography tech showed me the monitor, which was filled with what looked like staples -- we counted about 30 of them total, both in the breasts and under my arms where the lymph nodes were sampled. My girlfriend decided the surgeon must have had the box of clips next to him during the surgery, and accidentally knocked them over into me -- whoops! :-)

    When I "accused" my surgeon of this (and he said no, but did I find the Junior Mint he lost in there? :-), he explained that he puts 4 clips at each tumor and lymph node site -- "north, south, east, west." I'm sure different surgeons have different procedures, but that's why there were so many for me.

    I can't feel the clips at all, and mamolady on this board, who's a mammography technician, explained to us awhile back that the clips are made of titanium so that we can have MRIs with no problem. Which is also why there's no concern about setting off metal detectors.

    Hope that helps?

    Traci
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #8
    TraciInLA said:

    My surgeon calls them "clips," I have 30 of them
    I had bilateral lumpectomies and sentinel node biopsies in 2009 -- during surgery, my surgeon left behind titanium markers that he calls "clips." He made it sound like it would be "just a few."

    At my first post-treatment mammogram, I was astonished when the mammography tech showed me the monitor, which was filled with what looked like staples -- we counted about 30 of them total, both in the breasts and under my arms where the lymph nodes were sampled. My girlfriend decided the surgeon must have had the box of clips next to him during the surgery, and accidentally knocked them over into me -- whoops! :-)

    When I "accused" my surgeon of this (and he said no, but did I find the Junior Mint he lost in there? :-), he explained that he puts 4 clips at each tumor and lymph node site -- "north, south, east, west." I'm sure different surgeons have different procedures, but that's why there were so many for me.

    I can't feel the clips at all, and mamolady on this board, who's a mammography technician, explained to us awhile back that the clips are made of titanium so that we can have MRIs with no problem. Which is also why there's no concern about setting off metal detectors.

    Hope that helps?

    Traci

    I had one titanium marker
    I had one titanium marker placed in me during the ultra sound guided needle core biopsy to mark where the tumor was. However, it was removed during the lumpectomy as it was where the tumor was, which makes sense.

    Sue :)
  • sylvan
    sylvan Member Posts: 66
    #9
    TraciInLA said:

    My surgeon calls them "clips," I have 30 of them
    I had bilateral lumpectomies and sentinel node biopsies in 2009 -- during surgery, my surgeon left behind titanium markers that he calls "clips." He made it sound like it would be "just a few."

    At my first post-treatment mammogram, I was astonished when the mammography tech showed me the monitor, which was filled with what looked like staples -- we counted about 30 of them total, both in the breasts and under my arms where the lymph nodes were sampled. My girlfriend decided the surgeon must have had the box of clips next to him during the surgery, and accidentally knocked them over into me -- whoops! :-)

    When I "accused" my surgeon of this (and he said no, but did I find the Junior Mint he lost in there? :-), he explained that he puts 4 clips at each tumor and lymph node site -- "north, south, east, west." I'm sure different surgeons have different procedures, but that's why there were so many for me.

    I can't feel the clips at all, and mamolady on this board, who's a mammography technician, explained to us awhile back that the clips are made of titanium so that we can have MRIs with no problem. Which is also why there's no concern about setting off metal detectors.

    Hope that helps?

    Traci

    this sounds like me...
    Traci - This sounds like exactly what I'm talking about. These are where he took out the lymph nodes. However, I can feel the clips. They've made a lump under my skin that is tender. This is what had me concerned a few weeks ago when I thought maybe the cancer had come back or I had an infection. They actually gave me two rounds of antibiotics hoping to get the "infection" under control. I was so relieved to find out the cancer wasn't back that it didn't dawn on me to question the radiologist about the clamps until a few days later. I see the surgeon again in about 2 weeks. I'm going to talk to him about them then.

    Thanks everyone.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #10
    sylvan said:

    this sounds like me...
    Traci - This sounds like exactly what I'm talking about. These are where he took out the lymph nodes. However, I can feel the clips. They've made a lump under my skin that is tender. This is what had me concerned a few weeks ago when I thought maybe the cancer had come back or I had an infection. They actually gave me two rounds of antibiotics hoping to get the "infection" under control. I was so relieved to find out the cancer wasn't back that it didn't dawn on me to question the radiologist about the clamps until a few days later. I see the surgeon again in about 2 weeks. I'm going to talk to him about them then.

    Thanks everyone.

    I've never heard of a
    I've never heard of a surgeon leaving clips in, so, thanks for informing me of this. I learn so much from all of you.


    Sue :)
  • jfostsphr
    jfostsphr Member Posts: 1
    #11
    TraciInLA said:

    My surgeon calls them "clips," I have 30 of them
    I had bilateral lumpectomies and sentinel node biopsies in 2009 -- during surgery, my surgeon left behind titanium markers that he calls "clips." He made it sound like it would be "just a few."

    At my first post-treatment mammogram, I was astonished when the mammography tech showed me the monitor, which was filled with what looked like staples -- we counted about 30 of them total, both in the breasts and under my arms where the lymph nodes were sampled. My girlfriend decided the surgeon must have had the box of clips next to him during the surgery, and accidentally knocked them over into me -- whoops! :-)

    When I "accused" my surgeon of this (and he said no, but did I find the Junior Mint he lost in there? :-), he explained that he puts 4 clips at each tumor and lymph node site -- "north, south, east, west." I'm sure different surgeons have different procedures, but that's why there were so many for me.

    I can't feel the clips at all, and mamolady on this board, who's a mammography technician, explained to us awhile back that the clips are made of titanium so that we can have MRIs with no problem. Which is also why there's no concern about setting off metal detectors.

    Hope that helps?

    Traci

    Titanium clips (surgical staples)

    I'm so glad you're not having any problems with your "staples." That at least makes me happier. Me and my approximately 15-20 clips in my thyroid bed are not friends no matter how hard I try to manage the many post-op thyroidectomy complications that are now permanent after 3 years. I just wish my surgeon had told me they'd be using these (or might need to). It's clearly faster for them to use a staple gun. It's ruined a significant portion of my life and functioning. I try to remember that what matters is that I have my LIFE and the cancer was removed.

     

    Bless you today and always, titanium buddy. 

  • dreaming
    dreaming Member Posts: 26 Member
    #12
    I found out I have multiple

    I found out I have multiple ones left to hold my tissue when I had reconstructive surgery with a tram flap, over 20 years ago, never had a problem, they dont affect MRI, or anything. 

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