SAVI SCOUT® Wire-free Tumor Localization

Patient-friendly, wire-free tumor localization eliminates the need for wire localization before lumpectomy. This new technology ensures an easier, more comfortable experience for women.

woman with hand on chinTraditionally, lumpectomy procedures involve wire localization — inserting a wire into the breast on the day of surgery. For many women, this leads to discomfort, increased anxiety, and reduced satisfaction.

Instead of wires, the called SAVI SCOUT® system at Silver Cross uses a small reflector, the size of a grain of rice, which is placed into the breast up to a month before surgery.

“Undergoing a separate wire localization procedure the same day as the breast surgery can make a patient even more anxious,” explains Dr. Laura Ragauskaite, Medical Director of the Silver Cross Breast Center.

Using the system — which detects the reflector using its unique radar signal — surgeons can precisely target the affected tissue to pinpoint its location without the help of a wire localization in the setting of a lumpectomy for some patients.

“The surgeon scans the breast using the SCOUT Guide to lock on to the reflector’s position,” Dr. Ragauskaite added.

This allows surgeons to find and remove cancerous cells – instead of healthy breast tissue – and may help patients get important treatments like chemotherapy and radiation faster.

This technology is also FDA approved for lifetime implantation, which means there are no restrictions on the length of time the reflector can remain in the breast. It is not externally visible and does not restrict daily activities. Best of all, the tiny reflector can be placed by a radiologist up to 30 days before breast surgery, which means no extra waiting the morning of surgery.

How SCOUT® Wire-free radar localization Works

Get Started

Whether diagnosed at Silver Cross or elsewhere, call (815) 300-6350.

A certified breast health nurse will schedule the initial appointment and assist in coordinating the next steps in care including any additional diagnostic testing including breast ultrasound, breast MRI, or stereotactic breast biopsy to determine whether a lump is benign or cancerous.

Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.