Einstein Medical Center Montgomery is advancing breast care by offering new technology that enables breast surgeons to navigate to the precise location of cancerous breast tissue. Many breast cancers are treated with a lumpectomy or a partial mastectomy. The procedure aims to remove the cancer and save as much healthy breast tissue as possible. The critical step is for the surgeon to localize the exact spot where the cancer lies. Unfortunately, the breast cancer is not often visible to the naked eye. That is where localization by radiology comes into play using the new EnVisio Navigation System and SmartClip technology. Einstein Montgomery is one of the first hospitals in the Philadelphia region to offer the technology.
The standard method for the surgeon to localize the cancer was through wires that stick out of the breast. On the day of surgery, the patient would have to come in early to the radiology suite to have a wire placed in their breast, get transferred to the operating room, and then undergo their surgery. As can be imagined, this method led to significant anxiety, discomfort, and a longer day at the hospital.
This system uses a SmartClip, which is the size of a grain of rice, that is inserted at the site of the cancer by a breast radiologist. The radiologist uses 3D digital mammography and/or ultrasound to ensure the SmartClip is inserted at the exact location of the cancer. The SmartClip can be inserted weeks before surgery. The breast surgeon uses the system to locate the SmartClip which gives the surgeon a 3D image of the cancer and he/she can precisely determine the area of the breast to remove. The surgeon can decide where to place the incision, what area to remove, and the amount of healthy tissue next to the cancer (the margin) to remove. The patient does not have a wire sticking out of her breast, has a much shorter hospital stay, will likely have a better cosmetic outcome, and may have a lower rate of re-excision surgery (when the surgeon reopens the surgical site to remove an additional margin of tissue with the goal of getting a margin that is cancer-free).
“The EnVisio system has made a big difference in the operating room because it decreases the total amount of time a patient needs to be in the hospital on the day of surgery. It also enables me to pinpoint the cancer and remove the bare minimum of tissue, which has resulted in better aesthetic outcomes and increased patient satisfaction,” says Archit Naik, MD, Director of Breast Surgery and Women’s Health at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery. “Einstein Medical Center Montgomery is very excited to be able to offer the latest technology in breast cancer care in order to improve the patient experience during such a trying time.”
This technology was funded by all those who walked and ran, in-person or virtually, in the 2020 & 2021 Walk & 5K Run Through the Park. Approximately $100,000 was raised to support these enhanced technologies.
About Einstein Medical Center Montgomery
A technologically-advanced, 195-bed tertiary care medical center located in East Norriton, Pa. Einstein Medical Center Montgomery is part of Einstein Healthcare Network and offers a full range of medical and surgical care. Services include: a full service maternity unit with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; 24-hour emergency medicine; advanced heart care, including cardiac catheterization, open heart surgery, and electrophysiology intervention; cutting-edge cancer care; orthopedics and bariatric surgery. Primary care services are provided by Einstein Physicians, a network of physicians, nurses and healthcare specialists dedicated to serving patients throughout every stage of life. For more information, visit Einstein.edu/Montgomery or call 1-800-EINSTEIN.