Surgery to remove a lipoma concerns any adult, healthy patient that wants to get rid of a lipoma because of cosmetic or functional reasons. Lipomas grow often in visible areas of the face and the body being an issue for patients that wish to improve their appearance. Moreover, a lipoma may be painful if pressing against a nerve and therefore must be removed. Lastly, lipomas keep growing over the years so a lipoma that was initially small and painless may gradually become bigger getting in the way of everyday activities, like getting dressed, and causing a cosmetic problem for patients, who decide to remove it.

The doctor chooses the appropriate removal method depending on the size, the shape and the nature of a lipoma as well as patients medical history. A lipoma can be removed with liposuction – it is after all a growth of fat cells- or with steroid injections. These methods significantly reduce the size of the lipoma but don’t remove it completely. The most effective removal technique is surgery which is simple, safe and quick, performed under local anesthesia. The doctor will probably ask to have the lipoma checked with biopsy to rule out any suspicion for cancer but usually lipomas are benign tumors. The incision made during the surgery is small and doesn’t leave any scars.

The surgery to remove lipomas is an outpatient procedure and patients return home on the same day. They initially notice some redness and mild swelling on the are treated but symptoms subside quickly and allow patients to immediately return to their work and every day activities. In any case they must not put any pressure on the area treated. Results are permanent but lipomas may appear again, but this time on different areas.