Burbank General Surgeons

Can I Have a Lipoma Removed at the Emergencey Room?

Can I have a Lipoma removed at the Emergencey Room? I had it diagnosed 8 years ago, and dont have a personal Dr. anymore.

Generally emergency room physicians do not remove lipomas. You can make an appointment with a general surgeon and depending on the size/location of the lipoma he/she can remove it either in the office or in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD

Burbank General Surgeon

How can a lipectomy be determined as medically necessary by insurance?

I am an insurance collector in TX and have noticed more plans excluding lipectomy as cosmetic (including my own plan). I have a large golf ball-sized lipoma on my rib cage-near the incision of a previous lipectomy to remove a similar sized lipoma in 2002. How can the insurance consider this procedure medically necessary?

Hello. Good questions. Most of the lipoma excisions I do are covered by insurance. The main reasons lipomas are usually taken out is that besides the fact that they are cosmetically displeasing, most patients experience some sort of discomfort from their lipomas. You actually have a few things in your favor that should get your procedure covered if you have a good insurance plan:

- size

- location

- recurrence

You have a large lipoma that has recurred after a previous excision in the same area. The rib cage is a sensitive location for a mass this size and as a result you are experiencing a considerable amount of pain and discomfort from its presence. It's removal is therefore justified.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD

Burbank General Surgeon

I Suspect Lipoma in my Tummy Area

It shows up when I contract my stomach. Also this shows up when I try to get up from bed etc. Is this a lipoma?

What you are describing sounds more like a hernia than a lipoma. A hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall, which causes protrusion of abdominal contents (either fat or intestine) every time the pressure inside your abdomen is increased.....which would explain why you notice it more when you contract your muscles or try to get out of bed. You should make an appointment to see a surgeon as often these contents may become stuck and lead to complications requiring urgent surgery.

Michael A. Zadeh, MD

Burbank General Surgeon