Lipoma Removal Q&A
81%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
37 Reviews
Lipoma Removalbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Lipoma Removal Cost: $1,863

Learn about Lipoma Removal

422 people and 149 doctors are talking about Lipoma Removal

Get Free Email Updates

Is This a Lipoma? The Dr. Told Me To Go Home and Ignore It. (photo)

asked 5 months ago by missywolfe20 in Bellefontaine, OH
Latest answer by Timothy Mountcastle, MD
Question viewed 94 times
Tags: ribcage, worried

for a year i have notice a lump on my rib cage that just kept getting bigger. my fiance took me to the ER a few weeks ago to have it looked at and the doc there told me that he was just going to "slap a name on it and call it lipoma" after doing a single cat scan. he also told me to just go home and ignore it. this bothers me because he didnt seem to really care or try to help me with my problem. what test should i have done to make sure it really is lipoma? and what are your opinions on it?

4 answers to Is This a Lipoma? The Dr. Told Me To Go Home and Ignore It. (photo)

+2

Lipoma?

Thank you for the question. Given that the lesion is increasing in size and is obviously causing you anxiety ( enough to go to the emergency room and seek online consultation), you may want to have the lesion removed. This will be the only way to know for sure what the lesion is (pathologic evaluation). You may want to be seen by her primary care physician who can refer you to the appropriate surgeon for evaluation and possible excision. Best wishes. more
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Lipoma diagnosis

Lipomas can be diagnosed by physical exam and cat scans and ultrasounds or even a mri can be quite helpful for near definitive diagnosis though most would argue that most of these tests would be spending way too much money to definitively diagnose something so easily diagnosed by physical exam. But the only way to know for sure is to take the mass out and send it for biopsy. i agree with the other doctor who stated the E.R. is not the place to get non acute issues handled.... more
Timothy Mountcastle, MD

Ashburn General Surgeon

www.MountcastlePlasticSurgery.com

+1

Is this a lipoma?

There are several points to be made in this situation. One is that It's not possible to diagnose a lesion below the skin with a photo or description and sometimes not even by exam. Another is that the ER is for emergencies and is not a good place for an evaluation and discussion of treatment options for non-acute problems. I should also be stressed that you can usually have something removed such as a benign mole just because you choose to remove it (and understand the trade-offs).... more
Scott L. Replogle, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon
+1

"Is this lump that I am worried about a lipoma on my ribcage?"

Your question of is this a lipoma, is difficult to answer without the opportunity of doing an exam or reviewing the CT scan you had done, even with the picture you provided. Lipomas generally are not cancerous but are removed if they are bothersome or for definitive diagnosis. A primary care physician can usually help in identifying a lipoma, but a general surgeon is usually the doctor that will perform a removal. Watching it is often an option, but if it is growing,... more
Stacey Whitehead, MD

Council Bluffs General Surgeon

Ask a question