Is It Possible to Completely and Thoroughly Remove a Lipoma?

asked 2 years ago by Amy1960 in Knoxville, TN
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 6,541 times
Tags: back, female, lipoma

I have a rather large lipoma on my upper back. I had a similar mass removed surgically several years ago, but it returned. This is unsightly, and I would very much like to have it removed if there is any way to ensure that it will not return. Thank you for your time and expertise. Photo attached.

8 answers to Is It Possible to Completely and Thoroughly Remove a Lipoma?

Removal of a recurrent lipoma of the back.

Yes, it is possible but you may need to obtain an MRI to rule out deep involvement. Generally this is the concern with liposuction treatment of a lipoma. It rarely removes all the tumor. Clearly the advantage is the minimal scars. A larger scar affords greater visibility and an opportunity to completely remove the mass.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Skill of Surgeon

Lipomas are benign tumors of adipose tissue. Benign does not mean that a lesion cannot recur and grow. However, it should not do so if the whole mass has been removed. Surgery would still be the best approach. The pathology should be reviewed. There are variants of the common lipoma such as the pleomorphic lipoma ( your location would be typical for this entity) which are more cellular and have a greater tendency to recur.

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist

Lipoma Excision?

Thank you for the question and picture. Yes, it is possible to completely remove the lipoma. Given your history, it may be in your best interest to have imaging of the lipoma area done prior to repeat excision. An MRI study may be helpful to evaluate the extent of the lesion. Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Possible to completely and thoroughly remove a lipoma

Hi Amy, Yes. Absolutely. To do so you and your surgeon need to understand WHY did it recur and how FAST did it recur? Were parts of it left behind last time? Was liposuction used which would make it more likely? I would do either a CT or MRI to make sure it does not go deeper than the underlying shoulder blade and back muscles. I would have the pathology slides from the last removal looked at again asking if it is possible that this is not your basic Lipoma but something else. Finally, I... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Recurrent Lipoma Removal

Yes, one can remove a recurrent lipoma. This is the preferred way, as opposed to liposuction, etc. They can still return. Sometimes one cannot get all of the tumor. Sometimes there may be a small tumor nearby that then grows close to the same area and then is perceived as a recurrent lipoma. Re-do surgery is often more challenging as the tissue planes may not be as pristine. Most often we go through he same incision so as not to create a new one. Not a bad idea to get an MRI to see... more

Jeffrey Roth, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Reccurent lipomas could be removed

Reccurent lipomas could be exised completely if a proper imaging study is used prior to surgery to identify any deep portions. Since you already have a previous scar ,i would use this scor as my access incision. A CT or MRI would be ideal to make sure no other portions are missed.

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Yes but.

These are not a cancer, so this is the good news. They can be completely removed, but really the only way to be sure is that they don't return. Therefore, there can be no guarantees. It is worth trying again. sek

Scott E. Kasden, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

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