Mari’s Story

Mari knows about breast lumps. That’s because the women on her mother’s side of the family tend to have fibroadenomas—lots of them. In fact, her mother had so many removed, she ended up having a double mastectomy rather than continuing to go through more surgeries. 

So when Mari’s doctor found a lump in her breast, she thought to herself, “Oh, oh, it’s starting to happen to me.” 

The good news

After looking at the ultrasound images, the doctor told Mari there was nothing to be concerned about. They would simply wait and watch the lump to see if it changed. Greatly relieved, Mari went on about her life.

The bad news

So, Mari waited. She had almost forgotten about the lump until she went back to see her doctor. This time, her doctor told her that the lump had to be removed immediately. When Mari asked what had changed since her earlier visit, she was told that there were no records of any previous conversations. Mari was then advised to schedule an appointment for surgery as soon as possible.

Mari takes charge

Not wanting to follow the same path as her mother, Mari started to look for alternatives. She sought the advice of a friend, who happened to be a physician. Her friend referred her to Dr. Deanna Attai, a breast surgeon and woman’s health expert. Mari contacted Dr. Attai’s office and made an appointment. 

“It was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Mari remembers, “Dr. Attai examined my breast and looked at the ultrasound images and assured me that there was nothing to worry about. Then she told me about this great new machine that could remove my fibroadenoma by freezing it.” 

That machine was the Sanarus Visica 2™ Treatment System. 

How cryoablation works

During the cryoablation procedure, liquid nitrogen flows through the Visica 2 probe and cools the tumor down to -160 °C, turning it into a ball of ice. The freezing destroys the tumor and the body eventually absorbs the cells from the destroyed tissue and replaces the area with healthy tissue. 

Mari’s experience

“The idea appealed to me,” Mari explains, “The procedure could be performed in Dr. Attai’s office using a local anesthesia and would hardly even leave a scar.” 

“On the day of the treatment,” Mari continues, “I went to Dr. Attai’s office and she gave me a local anesthetic to numb the area. Then she made a tiny incision in my breast and put a small probe into the center of the lump. I was awake and saw the whole thing. I could see the ice ball form on the screen, and then it was gone. The lump was frozen.” 

The details

It took about 15 minutes to freeze Mari’s tumor. 

“It felt like an ice egg in my breast,” Mari explains, “There was a cold, freezing sensation in my upper arm, and it was painful for 3 or 4 hours. So, I took a couple Tylenol and went to work the next day. Today, I don’t even have a mark on my skin. I have to stop and try to remember which side of my body the lump was on.” 

Final thoughts

“One thought kept crossing my mind,” she recalls, “I just wish this procedure had been available for my mom. Those lumps caused her so much trouble—the stitches, the scars, the swelling, the drains… Her breasts looked like they were all chewed up from so many surgeries. One time she even got an infection in the hospital and had to stay there for days.”

Mari’s advice

When asked if she would recommend cryoablation to her friends and family, Mari doesn’t hesitate: 

“I think cryoablation is absolutely amazing. I tell all my friends and every woman in my family about it. I tell them, ‘You get to choose. You’re in control.’ ”