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Lymphatic Mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy are developing into a new field of minimally invasive surgery. These procedures were brought about by the necessity to better stage patients while minimalizing morbidity. Their application is reaching several aspects of surgery and becoming a major foundation in the armamentarium of the general surgeon.

The advent of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy provides an effective and less morbid procedure for staging patients with malignant melanoma. There is considerable variation on this technique. This article describes the technique that was developed and is currently in application at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Understanding all the steps and paying close attention to all details are important to ensure successful mapping.

In the current era of managed care and cost containment, physicians and administrators are placed in the predicament of increasing quality of care while decreasing costs. The purpose of this article is to offer a cost analysis, while also demonstrating what patients, providers, payers, employers, and industry may stand to gain from establishing sentinel lymph node biopsy as a standard care in certain groups of patients.