Breast Chips (Markers) - Migration

I have read that sometimes, both in humans and in animals, these chips do migrate away from their original site.  This is my most grave concern.  Chips in the breast, especially, I would think would be of great concern to women.  Also, if the chip migrates and the surgeon has to operate again, my feeling is that he would then operate in the wrong place!


This discussion is related to titanium clip .

[japdip]

Please read the two previous posts/answers.
It is true that in rare cases the chips can migrate but remain relatively harmless. They are placed first to identify an area and left in place to identify this area in the future as one that has been biopsied and represents nothing new that might require further invasive procedures.   Regards ....

[iam1butterfly]

I examined the one that was implanted in me just prior to my stereotactic biopsy procedure.
It appeared to have had minuscule prongs on its ends. So, I'd be very surprised it they migrated much... if at all. These markers are, after all, clips... shaped and designed to remain stationary.  

[Julie251]

The thing is, what happens if the chip migrates?  And yes, that does happen from time to time.  Although it may not be often, I'm sure that when it does happen to someone it's quite a serious concern for them because in my eyes, that would mean that the next time the surgeon would operate in the wrong place or disregard the renewal of cancer in a place he believed he had already operated on.

[Julie251]

I know I sound bitter and am a little because I've had two badly botched operations previously so it's very hard to trust doctors, especially now again, after feeling pinches in a few breast places so many times a day for the last few years.  I'm especially concerned because the pain was ultra extreme and lasted for weeks.  Without a drain tube there was so much swelling and water you could almost hear it squish in the other room when I walked.  Since no bra was strong enough to hold all that weight, I had to walk around with my hand over it for several weeks.  Because of the massive swelling, at least two stitches broke before the 6 day period.  If one of the stitches was attached to a clip and it migrated, that might explain the pain over the heart area.  Then again, I should wait before commenting because for all I know I don't even have clips and am making silly noise about nothing.   Will find out soon. The pain might just just be some kind of electrical nerve signal triggered by the lumpectomy scar which is still bright red & sore after over two years.  It does still bug me though, that I was feeling so wonderful and pain free when I walked in there, and then walked out with a badly deformed breast and a lifetime constant shocking type of pain, especially when the cancer was so slow growing I've always wondered if it ever truly existed in the first place.   I suppose a lot of cancer patients feel that way though. Those feelings might be normal, depending on the degree of pain people have.  I know of one person who had a double mastectomy and hardly suffered at all so the outcome likely depends on which nerves were affected.  Maybe they can cut the nerves or something.  Will find out in a couple of weeks.