A Novel Modality for Intraoperative Margin Assessment and Its Impact on Re-Excision Rates in Breast Conserving Surgery.

Background: A single center retrospective chart review was performed examining the ability of a novel radiofrequency probe (Margin Probe; Dune Medical Devices, Caesarea, Israel) for intraoperative margin assessment to reduce the number of reexcisions in breast-conserving surgery. Methods: Reexcision rates were evaluated in one-hundred and twenty consecutive patients before and after the institution of the device. Utility of the device was evaluated by comparing intraoperative feedback with postoperative pathology reports. Results: Two hundred and forty patient subjects were reviewed in total. There was a significant decrease in the re-lumpectomy rate (50%, p = 0.039) in the device group without increasing the total volume of tissue resected. Conclusions: The use of the MarginProbe device as an adjunct to the standard of care resulted in reduction of positive margins after lumpectomy and the number of re-excisions, significantly improving outcomes in breast-conserving surgery at our institution. (c) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.