Multiple Lipoma Removal

Say you have suddenly come across a strange lump under your skin that you could swear just wasn’t there before. Worried that it might be something dire? To your relief, the physician tells you that you need not worry as it is only a lipoma.

What is Lipoma? 

Lipomas are slow-growing fatty lumps or tumors under the skin .They are generally soft to the touch, movable, and painless. They usually occur just under the skin but occasionally may be deeper. Most are less than 5 cm in size. Lipomas aren't cancer and don't turn into cancer.  There’s a very small chance that a lump resembling a lipoma may actually be a form of cancer called liposarcoma.



They are found most often on the torso, neck, upper thighs, upper arms, and armpits, but they can occur almost anywhere in the body. They are fairly common and usually small and painless, but can grow larger or occur in multiple places. If they turn painful, it is called Multiple lipomatosis (Decrum's disease) . This is when some people develop multiple lipomas all over the body. There is a genetic predisposition for this.

The cause is generally unclear. Risk factors include family history, obesity, and not enough exercise. Diagnosis is typically based on a physical examination .Occasionally medical imaging or tissue biopsy is used to confirm the diagnosis. Generally, Males are more often affected than females. They are not generally associated with a future risk. About 2% of people are affected. Lipomas commonly occur in middle age, affecting one in 100 people.

Usually, treatment of a lipoma is not necessary, unless the tumor becomes painful or restricts movement. They are usually removed for cosmetic reasons, if they grow very large, or for histopathology to check that they are not a more dangerous type of tumor such as a liposarcoma. This last point can be important as the characteristics of a "bump" are not known until after it is removed and medically examined. It is more aesthetic than a health problem.

You can opt for the surgery:

• If your lumps are large and interfere with your regular activities.
• If the lump location causes the discomfort.
• If you are experiencing continuous pain.
• Cosmetic reasons.

Treatment:

Generally most lipomas under 5cm can be excised under local anaesthesia.  Lipomas are normally removed by simple excision. If you decide to have a lipoma removed, surgical removal is usually the procedure of choice. .

1. Lipoma Excision:

The Lipomas are traditionally treated by excision which removes them in their entirety.  It is preferable to choose a plastic surgeon for this treatment, since these doctors are trained in excisions that leave the best possible cosmetic result. It is a simple straight forward procedure in which your surgeon will make an incision in your skin and excise or remove the lipoma. The removal can often be done under local anaesthetic, and takes less than 30 minutes.

2. Lipoma Liposuction:

Larger lipomas may require excision under general anaesthesia. If the lipoma is large Dr. Shetty will use a technique involving liposuction assisted lipectomy to remove the lipoma. He uses small incisions around the lipoma in the most inconspicuous location possible to minimise visible scarring afterward. Liposuction is another option if the lipoma is soft and has a small connective tissue component. Liposuction typically results in less scarring; however, with large lipomas it may fail to remove the entire tumor, which can lead to regrowth.

Rarely the condition may recur following removal, however, this can generally be managed with a repeated surgery. Prevention of the appearance of lipomas is not a simple matter due to the fact that they are not entirely understood as yet, since not all of its causes have been identified, but it is generally accepted by the medical and scientific communities that the tendency to develop such growths is genetically inherited and that minor injuries to the body may in fact trigger the growth’s formation.

The scars left after the procedure are hardly noticeable to the extent that some patients term it as a Magic. The best thing about Dr. Shetty is, he is one of the expert in lipoma removal surgery with very minimal scarring but still removing the lipomas completely.

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