Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Health’s hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean county are the first and only providers in the region to offer targeted breast tissue localization through the SAVI SCOUT® surgical guidance system. The SAVI SCOUT® is used by surgeons and radiologists at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune), Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank), Bayshore Community Hospital (Holmdel) and Ocean Medical Center (Brick) to precisely locate and direct the removal of specific breast tissue during a breast lumpectomy for cancer or for a surgical breast biopsy procedure. In addition to the four Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties, the SAVI SCOUT technology is also available at Hackensack University Medical Center in northern New Jersey.

“Breast cancer surgery can be physically and emotionally distressing for women, and we strive to find ways to create a better experience, with better outcomes, for our patients,” says Denise Johnson Miller, M.D., FACS, Medical Director for Breast Surgery for Meridian Cancer Care, part of the Hackensack Meridian Health family. “SCOUT resolves one of the most difficult aspects of breast conservation surgery, coordinating breast localization procedures on the day of surgery. This will reduce patient wait times for surgery and subsequent adjuvant therapy. All of our sites have had radiologists, Meridian Breast surgeons and radiology assistant training with this procedure. Our focus at Meridian Cancer Care is on optimizing our patient’s experience and delivering state of the art oncology care.”

SCOUT uses non-radioactive, radar technology to provide real-time surgical guidance during breast surgery. Rather than placing a wire immediately before surgery, a SCOUT reflector is placed in the target tissue up to 30 days prior to surgery. The scout reflector is small, similar in size to a breast biopsy clip. During surgery, the SCOUT guide accurately detects the location of the reflector—and the tumor.

The ability to precisely locate and direct the removal of a tumor during a lumpectomy or surgical biopsy procedure enables surgeons to increase the probability of complete cancer removal and potentially reduce the likelihood of needing follow-up surgeries—a huge advantage for early-stage breast cancer patients. In addition, the ability to strategically plan the incision may result in less tissue being removed during surgery, resulting in better cosmetic outcomes.

“This is an exciting technology and valuable option for many patients, which can improve an individual’s experience and comfort,” says Debra Camal, M.D, Medical Director for Breast Surgery at Riverview Medical Center. “Benefits of this technology include eliminating the radiation component that goes along with radioactive seed localization. There is increased scheduling flexibility, thus reducing stress and anxiety for the patient.” Dr. Camal notes that the use of SAVI SCOUT is evaluated by the surgeon and radiologist, with all factors considered to make the best recommendation for each patient.

To learn more about services offered at Hackensack Meridian Health, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

About Hackensack Meridian HealthHackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 13 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and nine community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 28,000 team members, more than 6,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, the number one hospital in New Jersey as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

The hospitals of Hackensack Meridian Health include: academic medical centers - HackensackUMC in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, HackensackUMC Mountainside in Montclair, HackensackUMC Palisades in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley in Westwood.

To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.