Expert FNA Biopsy Services in Santa Barbara
Finding expert care in a smaller city like Santa Barbara can be challenging, especially when you need specialized procedures like Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) biopsies. However, with a short trip to Beverly Hills, patients can access the specialized care of Dr. Celina Nadelman, a board-certified cytopathologist and FNA specialist. Dr. Nadelman offers same-day or next-day appointments and results within 24-48 hours, ensuring you receive timely, accurate results without the long wait times often seen at larger facilities.
Why Make the Short Trip from Santa Barbara to Beverly Hills?
Expert-Level Care: While Santa Barbara is a beautiful community, it lacks the medical depth of larger metropolitan areas. Dr. Nadelman’s dual expertise as a cytopathologist and FNA specialist allows for a higher level of care, ensuring that your biopsy and diagnosis are handled by one of the best in the field.
Convenient Appointments and Quick Results: Many biopsy centers in smaller towns like Santa Barbara experience longer wait times for appointments and results. Dr. Nadelman provides appointments within 24-48 hours, and patients can often receive same-day results, allowing you to address concerns quickly.
Advanced Ultrasound-Guided FNA Technology: Dr. Nadelman uses ultrasound-guided FNA, ensuring precision and accuracy. This minimally invasive method offers an excellent alternative to surgical biopsies, giving patients a more comfortable and faster experience.
STEPS TO YOUR BIOPSY
In order to determine whether a lump is malignant, cancerous cells from the area must be examined under a microscope. Those cells can be obtained with a surgical biopsy or an FNA biopsy. An FNA biopsy is done in a doctor’s office with a very thin needle. Not only can the appointment be made within days, it is much less uncomfortable, and has less risk of bleeding or trauma to the tissue.From the patient’s perspective, an FNA is faster, can be performed in a doctor’s office, is less expensive and there is less tissue trauma than with a more invasive surgical biopsy.
The Importance of Choosing a Cytopathologist
Many doctors can perform biopsies, but Dr. Celina Nadelman has specialized training in interpreting biopsy samples, providing both the procedure and the diagnostic expertise in one visit. This reduces the risk of inadequate samples or diagnostic errors, which can be more common when performed by non-specialists.
Fast, Personalized Care in Santa Barbara, CA
Traveling to Beverly Hills may seem like a small inconvenience, but for Santa Barbara residents, it’s an opportunity to receive fast and specialized care. With Dr. Nadelman, you are assured not only a personalized experience but also timely and accurate results, often delivered within 48 hours.
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FAQ’s on Fine Needle Aspiration
Fine Needle Aspiration is a method of taking a small amount of tissue from a lump in the body. A very thin needle is inserted into the lump and tissue is dislodged by movement of the needle and/or by gentle suction. The tissue is then examined microscopically by a pathologist. The pathologist will make a diagnosis (find out the cause of the lump) and send a report to your doctor.
No, the procedure is completely painless. However, the needles used in FNA are very thin. Also, for your comfort, local anesthesia is often used before the FNA. If you are sore after the procedure, a simple pain reliever such as Tylenol (no nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, i.e. Advil) or an ice pack may alleviate mild symptoms.
Most doctors consider FNA to be a very good test. Overall, it is about 90-95% accurate when the aspiration and interpretation are done by an experienced cytopathologist. There is a small chance (usually less than 10%, depending on the size, location and nature of the lump) that the FNA will not be interpreted as cancer when cancer is there. Very rarely (usually less than 1% of the cases), FNA may be falsely interpreted as cancer when cancer is not there. Your doctor will use the results of the FNA and other clinical information to determine if further tests or treatment are necessary.
As with any procedure in which the skin is broken (like having your blood drawn), there is always a risk of pain, bleeding, bruising or slight tenderness at the aspiration site. Very rarely, an infection may occur after an FNA. However, the benefits of the FNA far outweigh the risks.
The alternative is to do a surgical biopsy, which is done with a much larger needle or by an operation. Surgery is more invasive, has more complications, and may take a while to schedule. A FNA is simpler, less expensive, has fewer complications and faster.
Generally, you may engage in your normal activities, including eating and drinking before and after the procedure. The only special precaution is to avoid taking anything that would increase bleeding such as aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Alieve, fish oil, vitamin E, etc., from about a week before the appointment (or the time your appointment is made), to a few days after the procedure. This may be helpful in limiting any additional bruising from the procedure. Moreover, you may resume normal activities immediately after the procedure.
Depending on what type of lesion (lump) it is and where it is in the body, the actual biopsy takes only a few minutes. However, since the FNA is being performed by a cytopathologist, (Dr. Nadelman), the material is checked immediately under the microscope as you wait, to ensure that there is enough material to make a diagnosis later on. This is done to decrease the chance of having to come back for a repeat FNA because of not enough material. Due to this, the procedure may take up to 45 minutes (per site).
After the biopsy sample has been obtained and you have left the office, all the slides prepared will be thoroughly examined and interpreted by the cytopathologist, Dr. Nadelman. A preliminary report can be telephoned to your doctor shortly after the FNA procedure (often within 24 hours). Because of the detailed evaluation involved and the possibility of additional studies, a final written report may require a few days (2-4 days) to complete, but is usually done in 48 hours. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is a diagnostic part of a complete evaluation of the specific site of concern indicated by your referring doctor. Therefore, the results will be given to your doctor and should be discussed with him or her. If you would like to receive your results directly, in addition, you may make a follow up appointment with Dr. Nadelman. Our goal is to care for you in the best, most efficient, yet personalized manner. If you have any further questions please contact us.
Yes, we accept Medicare and most PPO plans. Contact our office to confirm. 310.789.2046
Dr. Nadelman Services All of Santa Barbara, CA
For fast, accurate, and compassionate biopsy services, contact Dr. Celina Nadelman today to schedule your FNA biopsy near Santa Barbara. Call us at 310.742.1979 for immediate scheduling.
Directions from Santa Barbara to Dr. Nadelman’s Clinic:
- Start by heading south on US-101 S from Santa Barbara.
- Follow US-101 S for about 90 miles.
- Take exit 55B toward Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles.
- Arrive at 8670 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA, for your appointment.
Skip the Long Wait Times
At larger centers in Santa Barbara, wait times for biopsies can stretch for weeks, leaving patients in a state of uncertainty. By opting for Dr. Nadelman’s services, you ensure that your health concerns are addressed quickly and efficiently. You won’t have to deal with the disconnected care of larger medical institutions—Dr. Nadelman and her team prioritize compassionate, accurate, and personalized care.
