The combination of the MultiCare table and the Eviva device makes a significant difference for the patient experience during stereotactic biopsies.
Sponsored by Hologic Inc.
Frederick Memorial Hospital (FMH) was the first healthcare provider in Frederick County, Maryland, to offer digital mammography with the addition of Hologic Selenia digital mammography. In 2010, FMH once again partnered with Hologic for breast biopsy technology at its state-of-the-art women’s center – a partnership that has led to greater patient comfort and efficiency without sacrificing diagnostic confidence.
A New Era of Women’s Health
With the opening of its newest outpatient facility, FMH Crestwood, FMH has embarked on a new era in women’s health services. Every detail of the Women’s Center at Crestwood – from the interior design to the comprehensive services available – focuses on patient comfort and care.
With a private, women-only imaging suite, patients have access to a full complement of state-of-the-art imaging services from screening to treatment in a single location, including digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast biopsies and MRI. Onsite radiologists are available to review mammograms before patients leave, meaning follow-up procedures can be scheduled immediately, often on the same day.
According to Director of Imaging Brent Purscelley, technology plays a big role in FMH’s ability to offer this level of comprehensive and coordinated service. By partnering with Hologic for its technology needs, FMH was able to improve comfort, accuracy and efficiency of breast biopsy procedures.
Better Access & Improved Comfort for Stereotactic Procedures
For stereotactic breast biopsy procedures, FMH utilizes the Hologic MultiCare Platinum prone stereotactic breast biopsy system with an Eviva vacuum-assisted breast biopsy device. The automated coordinates of the MultiCare Platinum table provide efficiency and precision, ensuring accurate targeting and easy access to a majority of lesions.
To address patient comfort, FMH upgraded the table in 2010 with the addition of the MultiCare Maximum Comfort Package, a collection of ergonomically engineered cushions designed to provide targeted pressure point support for most body types and lesions.
“The design of the table and the addition of the Comfort Package give us greater flexibility in the types of patients we are able to accommodate with minimally-invasive stereotactic biopsy procedures,” says Radiologist and Chief of FMH Mammography Services Peter Kremers, M.D. “From an accessibility standpoint, it has made a significant difference in terms of being able to sample more hard-to-reach lesions, particularly in the posterior portion of the breast. From a comfort standpoint, it has been a huge improvement for our patients.”
The Eviva device combines quiet pneumatic firing and end-deploy site marking into a fully integrated system for stereotactic breast biopsy. The design for continuous delivery of pain medication to the biopsy site significantly improves comfort without interrupting the procedure. In addition, the forward firing motion of the needle improves accuracy and enables radiologists to more effectively sample lesions.
“In the past, patients would often report experiencing pain during breast biopsies, but that rarely happens now,” says Mary Abercrombie, a biopsy technologist at FMH Crestwood. “The combination of the MultiCare table and the Eviva device makes a significant difference for the patient experience during stereotactic biopsies.”
Diagnostic Confidence with Ultrasound and MRI Biopsies
FMH also utilizes the Hologic ATEC breast biopsy and excision system for ultrasound- and MRI-guided biopsies, as well as the Celero breast biopsy device for handheld, ultrasound-guided biopsies.
According to Dr. Kremers, the ATEC system is faster and produces larger cores than other systems. With a one-time needle insertion and a fully enclosed system with a dedicated collection chamber, the ATEC system also contributes to a faster, more efficient process by automatically collecting samples throughout the procedure.
“I think there’s both a time and cost savings on the back end when you’re not having to pull out individual samples as they’re acquired,” he says. “It also makes the process of x-raying the specimens after collection much smoother. Overall, the ATEC system just makes for a more efficient procedure.”
The Celero breast biopsy device provides radiologists with an ultrasound-guided breast biopsy option that produces large consistent cores, meaning fewer insertions than other devices are needed to obtain an accurate diagnosis. The lightweight handpiece is easy to maneuver, making it easy to sample even hard-to-reach lesions. The device’s trocar tip also enables the needle to fire in a straight line, which Dr. Kremers says is particularly helpful when trying to sample very dense lesions.
“Over the years there has been a trend of pathologists and physicians asking for more definitive diagnoses, which has led to a gradual increase in core sample sizes,” Dr. Kremers says. “Our Hologic equipment has given us the ability to obtain high quality tissue samples that more than meets this expectation.”
The comments included in this article are the opinions and personal stories of the individuals quoted and not necessarily those of Hologic.
Hologic, ATEC, Celero, Eviva, MultiCare and Selenia are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hologic Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
July 29, 2024 
