Lipoma Surgery

Lipomas are common, round-shaped, benign soft-tissue tumors that pose no threat to one’s health. They are typically less than 2 inches in diameter, have a soft doughy or rubbery texture, move easily when touched, and don’t hurt.

The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but they’re believed to be associated with genetic predisposition and specific medical conditions. Lipomas can form in any area of the body where there are fat cells between the skin and muscle layer. They are most likely to occur on the neck, shoulders, back, abdomen, and thighs. Unlike malignant tumors, lipomas won’t spread to surrounding tissues and become life threatening.

During lipoma surgery or excision, the fatty growth is removed from the skin. Local anesthesia is injected around the tumor to numb the area before surgery. A small incision can sometimes be made so that the lipoma can be easily popped out. More extensive incisions may be necessary for larger lipomas. Lipoma surgery may include liposuction to extract the fat cells from within the lipoma with a cannula.

Scars from lipoma surgery are typically minimal. Patients go home the same day of this in-office or day surgery procedure. Depending on the size and location of the tumor, patients will be able to resume most of their daily activities quickly. Stitches are usually removed in 14 days for body lipomas.

Recurrences occur more frequently in patients who have multiple lipomas. If they grow back, an additional lipoma surgery will still be the most effective treatment option. Since liposuction may not remove the entire lipoma, it has a slightly higher chance of growing back when compared to surgical removal.

In most cases, these harmless fatty growths require no treatment. However, patients may choose to have lipoma surgery if the tumor has become large and is growing rapidly, is causing pain or discomfort, or is getting in the way of their daily activities—or if the doctor is unsure whether the growth is truly a lipoma or another type of growth. Patients sometimes choose lipoma surgery because the appearance is causing them mental anguish.

A dermatologist will perform a physical exam and may take a biopsy, if necessary, to diagnose a lipoma. The patient and doctor will decide if lipoma surgery is warranted. Factors to consider when deciding on surgery include the size of the lipoma, the number of skin tumors present, whether the patient has a personal history or family history of skin cancer, and whether the lipoma is causing pain.

If patients notice an unusual-looking lump on their body, it’s important to get it looked at quickly, because it could be a sign of a more serious medical condition. Even if a patient decides not to have lipoma surgery, it’s still important to have regular check-ups with a dermatologist, who will perform routine skin cancer exams.