Excisional Biopsy (Excision Biopsy / Wide Local Excision)
Complete surgical removal of a breast lump with a margin of normal tissue — for both diagnosis and treatment of suspicious or confirmed breast lesions.
What is Excisional Biopsy (Excision Biopsy / Wide Local Excision)?
Excisional biopsy, also known as wide local excision when performed for cancer, involves complete surgical removal of a breast lump along with a surrounding margin of normal tissue. It serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes — providing definitive histopathology for suspicious lesions and achieving local disease control for confirmed cancer. Dr. Abhishek performs this at Lux Hospitals through carefully planned incisions that prioritise both oncological clearance and cosmetic outcome, sending the specimen for detailed pathology.
How the Procedure Works
Anaesthesia & Marking
Local or general anaesthesia is given; the lesion is marked — often with imaging guidance or a wire.
Planned Incision
An incision is made considering Langer's lines, cosmetic zones, and potential future surgery requirements.
Lesion Identification
The lump is identified by palpation, wire guidance, or intra-operative ultrasound for precise localisation.
Wide Excision
The lesion is excised with a clear rim of normal tissue; margins are marked for orientation by the pathologist.
Haemostasis & Closure
Bleeding is controlled; the cavity is approximated where appropriate; skin is closed with subcuticular sutures.
Outcomes
Who Needs This Treatment?
- →Provides definitive tissue diagnosis for suspicious lesions
- →Serves as treatment for early breast cancer (breast-conserving surgery)
- →Carefully planned incisions prioritise cosmetic outcome
- →Day care or short stay procedure in most cases
- →Low complication rate with rapid recovery
- →Can be combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy for cancer cases
A breast excision is never just about removing the lump — it is about planning the incision, achieving clear margins, and protecting the shape of the breast. Good technique sets the foundation for everything that follows.
— Dr. Abhishek Katha, Consultant General & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad
Excisional Biopsy Cost in Hyderabad
The cost of an excisional biopsy in Hyderabad depends on the location, size, and characteristics of the lump or skin lesion, the extent of tissue removal required, pre-operative evaluation, anesthesia, and post-procedure care. Excisional biopsy involves removing the entire suspicious or symptomatic lesion, along with a margin of surrounding tissue when clinically indicated, and sending the removed tissue for histopathological examination. It may be used for suspicious skin lesions as well as selected benign breast lumps such as fibroadenomas. The estimated cost ranges from ₹20,000 to ₹60,000 for skin lesion excision, with an average cost of approximately ₹40,000, while breast excisional biopsy is estimated at ₹25,000 to ₹55,000, with an average of approximately ₹40,000.
| Procedure | Approximate Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Excisional Biopsy / Wide Local Excision, Suspicious or confirmed lesion | ₹20,000 ₹60,000 |
| Excisional Biopsy, Benign lump, fibroadenoma | ₹25,000 ₹55,000 |
The actual cost may vary according to the size, location, depth, and nature of the lesion, as well as the amount of tissue that needs to be removed. For skin tumors, a wider excision may be required when clinically indicated, while the approach for a breast lump depends on the lump's size, location, imaging findings, and previous biopsy results.
The total expense may include consultation, imaging or other diagnostic tests, blood investigations, anesthesia or local anesthesia, procedure-room or operating-room charges, hospital or day-care services, medicines, wound care, and histopathology. When additional pathology techniques such as frozen section are required, these may be billed separately. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), where indicated for certain breast cancers, is a separate procedure and its cost depends on items such as the radiotracer or dye and gamma probe availability; SLNB and its associated pathology charges should not be assumed to be included in a routine breast excisional biopsy estimate.
Factors Affecting Excisional Biopsy Cost
Several factors can influence the final cost of excisional biopsy because skin lesions and breast lumps can vary considerably in size, location, depth, and clinical suspicion. The extent of excision and the level of diagnostic evaluation required may also affect the overall expense.
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Size of the lesion or lump: Larger lesions may require more extensive tissue removal and can increase procedure time
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Location: Lesions in anatomically sensitive or difficult-to-access areas may require greater surgical precision.
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Nature of the lesion: Suspicious, recurrent, or potentially malignant lesions may require wider excision or additional evaluation.
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Type of procedure: Simple excision and wide local excision may involve different levels of surgical work.
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Breast lump characteristics: Size, depth, imaging appearance, and prior biopsy findings can influence the approach to excisional biopsy.
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Pre-operative evaluation: Ultrasound, mammography, other imaging, blood tests, or previous biopsy and pathology reports may be reviewed before surgery.
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Anesthesia: Local anesthesia may be sufficient for some smaller procedures, while other cases may require sedation or general anesthesia.
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Hospital or day-care care: Procedure-room charges, nursing, monitoring, and admission requirements contribute to the overall cost.
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Frozen section: When clinically required, intra-operative frozen-section analysis can add a separate pathology-related cost.
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Additional procedures: Further excision or another surgical procedure may be required based on clinical or histopathology findings.
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Post-procedure care: Medicines, dressing or wound care, follow-up consultations, and review of pathology results may also contribute to the final expense.
Insurance Coverage for Excisional Biopsy
Excisional biopsy may be covered by health insurance when it is performed for a medically necessary diagnosis or treatment of a suspicious, symptomatic, or confirmed lesion. Coverage can differ for procedures performed primarily for cosmetic reasons. The extent of coverage depends on the diagnosis, policy terms, waiting periods, exclusions, insurer guidelines, pathology benefits, pre-authorization requirements, and cashless eligibility. Patients should confirm whether the procedure, anesthesia, hospitalization, imaging, and histopathology are covered under their policy.
- Checking your policy coverage
- Cashless approval process
- Required documentation
- Insurance-related queries before the procedure
Dr. Abhishek Katha
Consultant General & Laparoscopic Surgeon
Dr. Abhishek Katha, Consultant General & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon at Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad, evaluates patients with a range of general surgical conditions and provides assessment for lumps and lesions requiring surgical management. During consultation, he reviews the patient's symptoms, duration of the lump or lesion, changes in size or appearance, pain or other associated symptoms, previous procedures or biopsies, medical history, and available imaging or pathology reports. A clinical examination helps determine the nature and extent of the lesion and whether complete surgical removal is appropriate. When excisional biopsy is recommended, Dr. Abhishek Katha discusses the proposed procedure, the extent of tissue removal, anesthesia requirements, expected recovery, wound care, and the importance of histopathological examination of the specimen. For a breast lump, the treatment plan is based on the clinical examination and available imaging or biopsy findings, while suspicious skin lesions may require wider excision depending on the diagnosis. When additional procedures or specialist investigations are indicated, these are discussed as part of the overall treatment plan, along with expected follow-up and estimated treatment cost.
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