The type and complexity of the procedure ordered by Dr. Cross will vary greatly from person to person depending on each individual's needs. Listed below are some of the more common procedures we perform.

Procedures performed in-office:

Ultrasound Guided Cyst Aspiration -- In this procedure, Dr. Cross will use a local anesthetic to numb the area of breast around the cyst. He will then use the ultrasound to precisely position the needle in order to drain the fluid-filled cyst. This procedure takes only minutes!

Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspiration -- This procedure is completed in a similar fashion as the cyst aspiration except that a sampling of cells are aspirated and sent to pathology for microscopic evaluation and identification. This procedure takes only a few minutes also and we should have your results in 2-3 days.

Ultrasound Guided Core Biopsy -- This procedure is performed in the case of masses or suspicious appearing tissue. Dr. Cross will anesthetize the area and with a larger bore needle take tissue samples. In some cases, he is able to remove the entire abnormal mass. This is completed by the Vacora or Mammotome Biopsy System.

Radiation Balloon Catheter Placement for Brachytherapy -- For cancer patients, another radiation technique offered is brachytherapy. Radioactive seeds are implanted via the balloon catheter directly into the tumor or tumor bed, thus minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue.

Cryoablation -- This procedure involves using the ultrasound to guide a probe to the abnormal mass in question. Using liquid nitrogen or pressurized argon gas circulating through these probes, Dr. Cross can freeze the suspicious area to -40 degrees Celsius and destroy the mass.