Lipoma Removal Surgery Overview
A lipoma is a slow-growing, fatty lump that's most often situated in a thin, fibrous capsule between your skin and the underlying muscle layer. A lipoma, which feels doughy and usually isn't tender, moves readily with slight finger pressure. Lipomas are usually detected in middle age, as they are the most common noncancerous soft-tissue growth.
Lipomas are found most often on the torso, neck, upper thighs, upper arms, and armpits, but they can occur almost anywhere in the body. One or more lipomas may be present at the same time. The growth of lipoma can affect surrounding areas and place pressure on nerves, muscle tissue, organs and blood vessels which can lead to pain, self-consciousness or even serious health concerns. Treatment generally isn't necessary, but if the lipoma bothers you, painful or is growing, you may want to have it removed.
When should you consider Lipoma removal?
Lipomas are usually harmless, so most people do not need to have surgery to remove them. People may want to remove a lipoma that:
- is cancerous;
- is large, impinges on movement, or growing quickly;
- causes bothersome symptoms, such as pain and discomfort;
- interferes with normal body functions;
- causes distress for cosmetic reasons;
- the doctor is unable to confirm is a lipoma rather than another type of tumor.
Lipoma Removal Surgical Procedure
Dr. Michael K. Kim can often treat a lipoma by removing it surgically. One method is to make a small cut in the skin and then squeeze out the lipoma. Lipoma removal surgery often only requires local anesthesia and can be performed as an out-patient procedure, returning the patient home the same day, but this depends on the size and number of the lipomas and the method of removal.
That said, Dr. Kim may need to make a more significant incision to remove larger lipomas entirely. The skin is incised over the lipoma, and the fatty tissue is meticulously dissected away. The dissection technique may, in selected cases, be combined with a “press and squeeze” method. The surgeon places the incision directly over the lump and orients it in such a way that it gets hidden by natural wrinkles and creases of the skin. It’s analogous to delivering a baby through a small access area. After the lipoma has been completely removed from under the skin, the incision will be meticulously sutured closed with dissolving sutures.
Pros vs. Cons of Lipoma Removal Surgery
Pros:
- Surgically removing a lipoma prevents it from becoming larger.
- The removed tissue is large enough to biopsy and confirm that there’s nothing more serious going on. Sometimes doctors mistake liposarcoma (a malignant tumor) for deep seated lipoma, so removing it proactively could save your life.
- Once the growth is gone, you’ll likely feel more comfortable and be more satisfied with your appearance.
Cons:
- There’s a small risk of infection or irritation at the removal site.
- The procedure will result in a small scar, so consider the location if that’s a concern.
- There is a chance of lipoma recurrence in the same site or surrounding tissue.
Lipoma Removal Through Liposuction
Liposuction is another minimally invasive method that may be employed for lipoma treatment and involves removal of the fatty tissue lump by making a tiny incision at the site to suction out the lump. Microcannulas are tiny cannula-shaped instruments that are used for liposuction. Since microcannulas are minimally invasive, they produce less scarring than the traditional open approach of lipoma removal. There is, however, a somewhat higher risk of recurrence when compared to the open technique.
To do this, Dr. Michael K Kim will need to cut into the lump and insert a thin, hollow tube through the incision. He will then use the tube to suck the mass of fat cells out of the body. Dr. Michael K Kim may even decide to place the incision in a remote hidden site to assist in the masking any scarring. Liposuction is more commonly used for the removal of lipomas on the face and other visible areas. These types of operations will often only leave a small scar once the wound has healed.
Lipoma Removal Recovery
Patients may return home immediately following their lipoma removal but should expect to return for a post-operative visit to ensure your treatment site is healing properly. No matter the technique used to excise the lipoma, Dr. Kim will typically sent out a sample to a laboratory for testing and analysis, ensuring the fatty tissue is not cancerous. Although benign lipomas are not cancerous, strict precautions are always made to ensure the safety and health of each patient.
Post-Surgical Care: Dr. Kim and his team will be at your side while you are recovering. Once you are ready to go home you will be receiving a proper guidelines of dos and don’ts that you need to follow and instructions on how often you need to be in touch with your surgeon to share your recovery status.
