Is It Possible to Completely and Thoroughly Remove a Lipoma?

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.

Lipomas are benign fatty tumors that occur under the skin and less commonly within the muscle. They are associated with mild discomfort and a lump underneath the skin. It is always best to talk to an expert plastic surgeon to determine whether the lipoma is possibly a cyst or a tumor or hernia. We would have to remove the lipoma to be sure that it is not something else and we usually do this by sending it to a pathologist for evaluation. If a lipoma is painful, then an exam is needed to make sure it is not compressing on a nerve or whether the diagnosis is different. Aftercare for a lipoma includes gentle compression and Plato’s Scar Serum twice daily on the wound.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

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 the extent of the lipoma. I would also send this tissue to pathology to be on the safe side.

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.

 

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 would not have waited as long as you had and allowed it to grow so large as this has stretched the overlying skin AND caused a crater beneath which will be seen when this mass is removed.
There are several good guys in Knoxville and I'm sure all are capable of taking care of this for you.
Good Luck.