Lipomas - Do I have to get them surgically removed?

Lipomas are fairly easy to diagnose on clinical exam. They are also easy to remove surgically in most instances with a scar over the lipoma about as long as the diameter of the lesion. Some physicians alternatively advocate the use of liposuction to treat these lesions and minimize the scar but increase the risk of recurrence or miss the opportunity to diagnose a cancer. This is an example of letting cosmesis get in the way of good medicine.

Please know that while almost all lipomas are benign non-cancerous growths, there are people with a kind of cancer called a liposarcoma that can mimic a lipoma. If the fatty lesion is properly removed surgically, it can be evaluated by a pathologist under the microscope and be sure it is not a cancer. If its cellular architecture is destroyed by liposuction, it cannot be as reliably evaluated to not be malignant.

That is why I always remove lipomas rather than gambling with your health over a small scar and running the risk of missing the rare but possible diagnosis of a potentially cancerous lesion.

Most lipomas that are diagnosed clinically are benign, and could be left alone. For this reason, some insurance carriers consider removal cosmetic, and not a covered benefit. Very rarely, a fatty growth can be an aggressive type of cancer, called a liposarcoma. These are malignant and can grow into nearby tissue or spread. If you have a clinically diagnosed lipoma that doesn't bother you, you are most likely safe to leave it alone. If you begin to have pain near the lipoma, or rapid growth, have it evaluated and removed.

Lipomas are generally benign (non-cancerous) lesions. They will generally continue to grow over time and only need to be removed if they become bothersome, infected, or the patient desires removal. Removal generally required a small incision over the lipoma and removal of the lesion. In some cases, a very small incision is made over the lipoma and it can be expressed out, much like a pimple.