Choice of anesthetic technique for needle localized breast biopsy

General anesthesia has been recommended to increase the accuracy and safety of needle localized biopsy (NLB). The authors' NLB experience was reviewed to determine whether the method of anesthesia affected accuracy, yield, complication rate, or cost. All biopsies were performed in a standard operating room using either local anesthesia (Group 1, n = 14), local anesthesia with an anesthesiologist present (Group 2, n = 14), or general anesthesia (Group 3, n = 10). The mean operative times were 54, 59, and 56 minutes for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In groups 1 and 2, 100 per cent of the specimen radiographs showed the target lesion had been excised, although one biopsy was indeterminate. Among Group 3 two target lesions could not be identified on specimen radiographs and one was indeterminate. There was one malignancy in Group 1 compared with four malignancies in Group 2 and two in Group 3. The average hospital bill was $1,172 for Group 1, $1,418 for Group 2, and $1,488 for Group 3. Anesthesiologists' fees added an additional $224 to Groups 2 and 3. NLB can be performed using local anesthesia without sacrificing accuracy or yield, increasing operative time, or increasing complication rate; the cost is significantly less than with general anesthesia.