What Kind of Doctor Should I See for Lipoma Removal?

Thank you for sharing your question.  For most patients removal by a plastic surgeon will offer the best surgical results, both in removal and scar quality.  That said general surgeons would be an excellent second choice.  Hope this helps.

Lipoma excision is a pretty common benign tumor that many specialist can manage. General surgeons frequently do these. If you concerned about the scar a plastic surgeon should be able to get you a better scar. I would find someone that does a lot of procedures. Going to a family practice doctor who rarely operates might not give you the best outcome. 

I would recommend you find a board certified plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Sugery, who has an extensive experience in Lipoma Removal.Best Regards,Dr. Gartner

Dermatologic surgeons, plastic surgeons or general surgeons. It is important for you to feel comfortable with your surgeon. 

Many different types of surgeons would be qualified to remove a lipoma, and the best choice would probably depend on the location of the lesion. A lipoma in the head and neck area could be removed by a facial plastic surgeon, plastic surgeon, otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, or general surgeon. A lipoma on the body would usually be treated by a plastic surgeon or general surgeon.
All the best,

Thank you for your question, ccrozer. I suggest you consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon because we are concerned with removing scars with minimal scarring.Best wishes,

You want a surgeon who is has lots of experience removing lipomas and who is interested in making the scar as inconspicuous as possible. Plastic surgeons are particularly well qualified due to training in techniques to minimize scarring, although general surgeons, ENTs, dermatologic surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, and OB/GYNs are also able to perform the procedure safely.

This is a hard question to answer because I remove lipomas using a 1/4" stab incision or a 3/8-1/2" incision for ones larger than about 3.5 cms. I think that most doctors will make a longer incision to remove the lipoma surgically.  If you have a lipoma that requires surgical removal, a board certified plastic surgeon is always an excellent choice because of the attention to doing an excellent closure if you do need to have an incisional procedure.

Lipoma removal can be performed by a general surgeon, plastic surgeon, or dermatologist. During consultation, go with your hunch and ask pertinent and pointed questions about experience, method of treatment, and proposed outcome.

Lipoma is a slow-growing, benign soft-tissue, fatty tumor. It is usually situated between skin and the underlying muscle layer. Lipomas can occur at any age; sometimes they run in the families. People want removal when the see the change in the growth or it becomes painful. In that case, you should seek the help of the experieced plastic surgeon. Physicians should easily diagnose the lipoma just by simply looking at it and feeling the firmness of the lump under the skin. In most cases it can be removed at the doctor's office under the local anesthesia. It takes about the week to recover after the procedure.