Removing Multiple Lipomas

I have several lipomas, and I would number them in the hundreds (the biggest being roughly 2" long). My trunk and arms are the worst affected. I am not over weight and very fit so the lipomas look more obvious (hideous). What is the best method for removing several lipomas?

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by Dune in England

Doctor Answers (7)
Community Comments (1)

Removing multiple lipomas

Great question! The majority of my patients with multiple lipomas opt to have them removed under a general anaesthetic through very small incisions. The patient and I select the ones to remove before the anaesthesia and mark each site with a marking pen. The incisions are closed with dissolving sutures and waterproof dressings are applied. All of the lipomas are sent to the lab to confirm the diagnosis. The most lipomas I have removed in a single setting under local anaesthetic was... more

Many Lipomas can be removed through a small hole

Board certified dermatologic surgeons usually have a lot of experience removing lipomas. One of the tricks I use to completely remove them quickly, leaving only a small scar is to use a surgical tool called a "punch" which creates a small hole in the skin above the lipoma and then pull the lipoma through the hole. Several can be done in under an hour.

Lorrie Klein, MD

145 reviews

Laguna Niguel Dermatologic Surgeon

www.ocdermatology.com

Treatment of multiple lipomas

The only way to effectively remove these lipomas is to stage surgical resection of them. All other treatments are not time proven.

Smartlipo is a minimally-invasive method to remove large lipomas

Dear Dune, I would first excise a few of the more noticeable ones and perform a pathologic exam to confirm they are lipomas. If they are ordinary lipomas then further excisions can be performed. If you have pathologic variants of lipomas (angiolipoma, angiomyolipoma, or even cysts) these may signal a genetic predisposition for underlying tumors and warrant further investigation of your general health. Multiple lipomas can be safely removed with standard excisional surgery under local... more

Removing multiple lipomas

It is possible to remove many lipomas in the same setting. It sounds as if you have a great deal lipomas and are very experienced with this condition. Your best bet is to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon and determine how many you and your surgeon are willing to remove it once. In my experience, I have removed up to 30 lipomas in one setting. These were very small and superficial and were all that the patient and I were willing to perform as outpatient surgery. ... more

Best way to remove lipomas

I have seen hundreds of patients for lipoma removal, and in most cases remove them with local anesthesia on the day I first see the patient. Usually the most visible or uncomfortable ones are removed at the first session. For most people we remove 2 or 3, but by prior arrangment, I have removed over 20 at one time. They are typically a benign growth, but we send the specimen(s) to pathology for evaluation. see video

Removing Lipomas

Lipomas can occur in any individual regardless of weight. They can occur almost anywhere on the body as well. Removal of lipomas is perfomed by surgical excision. An incision is made over the lipoma and it is dissected from the surrounding tissue and removed. Multiple lipomas can be removed at the same time, depending on the number and size. If small enough they usually can be removed under local anesthesia, however larger lipomas may require other forms of anesthesia.