May 1, 2008 - Hologic Inc. said yesterday at the American Society of Breast Surgeons conference in New York City that U.S. breast surgeons are among the first to realize the benefits of Hologic product integrations stemming from recent company mergers, acquisitions and partnerships.
The Suros Celero spring-loaded, vacuum assisted core biopsy device, SecurMark for Celero biopsy site identifier, MammoSite five-day radiation therapy system and a recent agreement with Mindray Medical International to sell the to DP-6600 digital ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system, allows Hologic to offer a comprehensive ultrasound-guided portfolio to the U.S. breast surgery market.
“With Hologic offering a full line of ultrasound breast care products, we are able to drastically shorten the time it takes from performing an abnormal ultrasound biopsy to giving the patient a diagnosis,” said Thomas Heck, M.D., FACS, medical director of the Samaritan Breast Center in Dayton, Ohio. “The waiting period is sometimes now just one day. This is a huge help in significantly lowering patient anxiety.”
SecurMark biopsy site identifiers are one of Hologic’s newest product releases. SecurMark identifiers use a biocompatible titanium clip surrounded by a bio-absorbable suture-like material designed to minimize marker movement within the biopsy cavity and help visualize the marker under traditionally challenging circumstances in the ultrasound environment. SecurMark site identifiers preliminarily indicates visibility 2-3 weeks after deployment, reportedly making it effective for surgeons in accurately guiding them with wire localization should a follow up lumpectomy be necessary. After four months, the Glycoprene netting surrounding the marker shows no visual evidence and is safely and fully absorbed into the body. SecurMark for Celero site identifiers are available in two shapes to provide differentiating images and the ability to diagnose breast disease independently for multiple biopsy sites in a single breast.
“I like the fact that with the Celero, you can pre-fire directly to the lesion and you know you won’t fire past it,” said Dr. Heck. “It provides me with excellent specimens that our pathologists are very happy with and bleeding has not been an issue. Patient care is enhanced because we can make a definitive diagnosis much quicker. It’s the right thing to do and the way a breast center should operate.”
Quehuong Pham, M.D., general surgeon at Inverness Surgical Associates in Inverness, FL notes that the DP-6600 digital ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system gives breast surgeons the ability to provide comprehensive patient care in their office, without the need to refer patients to radiologists for imaging and possible wire localization for a later surgical procedure.
“I see a significant benefit to what Hologic is offering as an ultrasound package,” Dr. Pham said. “Having the ability to image the breast, easily perform a biopsy and mark the biopsy site, and then also provide disease treatment with the MammoSite radiation therapy system, if necessary, really makes my practice very efficient and offers my patients convenience. Not only does this benefit me with scheduling, but also in planning my surgical cases.”
For more information: www.hologic.com
