A COMPLICATION INVOLVING A BRAIDED HOOK-WIRE LOCALIZATION DEVICE

At the authors' institution, needle localization of breast lesions wit h a braided hook wire involves the wire being cut 1-2 cm from the poin t of entry before dissection, to avoid contamination of the sterile fi eld with the nonsterile portion of wire. During dissection, the wire i s brought through the skin into the area of dissection. In one patient , fragments of wire filaments were left within the breast. Braided hoo k wires must be cut cleanly, the cut surface should be wiped before di ssection, and the surgical area should be cleansed before closure.