will I be offered a local anaesthetic ?
Good afternoon MushMush,
Thanks for getting in touch, and welcome to our online community.
My name’s Karla, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
I’m glad to see you’ve joined our breast cancer forum and have already connected with some of our other members. The support and understanding offered here is hard to beat.
Yes, the Magseed (a small metal marker that is placed into the breast to mark where the tumour is and can be found with a magnetic probe) is done using local anaesthetic.
We’d recommend contacting your consultant (via their secretary) or your breast care nurse (if you have one) to talk through anything you’re unsure about.
On the day of your Magseed, let the staff know about any worries or concerns. And at any point you can ask them to stop if you feel discomfort as more local anaesthetic can be given if needed.
This Q&A with a consultant who uses Magseed may be useful to read through.
I hope this helps to guide you.
Good luck for your Magseed and don’t hesitate to come back if you need anything.
Best wishes, Karla
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist.
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref: KS/AT
