Training module to teach ultrasound-guided breast biopsy skills to residents improves accuracy.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of a training module in teaching residents the skills necessary to perform accurate and safe ultrasound-guided breast biopsies (USGBB).

METHODS

Twelve residents with no USGBB experience, but variable ultrasound (US) experience, were randomly assigned to 2 groups; 1 group participated in a training module, and the other received no training. Each resident then attempted 30 core biopsies of "lesions" implanted in breast phantoms. Successful biopsies extracted some "lesion" material. "Chest wall" hits were also counted.

RESULTS

The trained residents had significantly fewer "chest wall" hits than the untrained group (p < 0.002), but there was no significant difference in the number of successful biopsies (73% v. 43%, p = 0.09). The subgroup of residents who were USGBB trained but inexperienced in US (n = 4) achieved more successful biopsies (p < 0.05) and fewer "chest wall" hits (p < 0.01) than their matched untrained cohort (n = 3). The trained US-experienced subgroup (n = 2) had fewer "chest wall" hits than the matched untrained subgroup (n = 3; p < 0.05) but similar biopsy success rates. Untrained US-experienced residents (n = 3) had more successful biopsies than untrained US-inexperienced residents (n = 3; p < 0.001) and similar "chest wall" hits.

CONCLUSION

Residents with training perform USGBBs more safely, and training significantly improves accuracy of USGBB in residents with no US experience. US experience improves biopsy success rates but does not affect safety levels of residents with no USGBB training.