S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 1
W
e use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to
mark non-palpable breast tumors. Because the cap-
sule does not migrate, you can inject it up to 30 days
before surgery. The technique is simple: a radiologist injects the
RFID capsule into the tumor within the breast tissue under fluo-
roscopy — it's similar to how they microchip your pets. The
patient goes home soon afterwards. Patients much prefer the
RFID tag to wire needle localization, in which a wire protrudes
out of the breast.
Kristine Alessandrini, BSN, RN, CNOR
UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center
Los Angeles, Calif.
kaless@mednet.ucla.edu
Mark Breast Tumors With RFID Tags
• ADVANCE PREPARATION You can inject RFID tags into breast tumors up to 30 days before surgery.