Which of the following procedures will require a frozen section to be sent off to Pathology?

In the context of surgical procedures, a frozen section is a rapid pathology assessment that provides immediate information about the tissue being examined. This quick evaluation helps guide the surgical decision-making process during the procedure.

When considering the breast biopsy, particularly in cases where malignancy is suspected, it is crucial to determine whether the tissue contains cancerous cells. If the frozen section reveals malignancy, the surgeon may need to adjust the surgical approach, such as increasing the extent of the tissue removal or performing an axillary lymph node dissection. This immediate feedback can significantly influence the management of the patient in real-time.

In contrast, while appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and total abdominal hysterectomy are important surgical procedures as well, they typically do not require the same urgent pathology assessment like a breast biopsy does. An appendectomy is often performed for clear indications of appendicitis without the need for immediate confirmation that is typically needed in breast lesions. Similarly, although a frozen section may be utilized in some complex cases during a hysterectomy (for example, to assess ovarian masses), it is not the routine practice in a straightforward total abdominal hysterectomy. A cholecystectomy generally does not involve immediate pathology evaluation unless there is a significant concern that