If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Question

In the last 2 years i have had a Lipoma on the top of my head removed and it came back, removed again and it came back again. It seems to stay gone a few months and then return. Im wondering if i keep getting it removed, will it inevitably always come back? Another question, after having it removed, i swear i still felt there was about a bit in there, about 10% of the original size. So if the doctor missed some, is that why its not staying gone?

Kyle Kimura, MD · Answer

I'm sorry to hear about your lipoma returning. Unfortunately that is one of the highest risks of removal as any small piece of the lipoma left behind can ultimately grow back. A lipoma typically encapsulates itself, meaning it stays as one contiguous piece, however if it is in multiple pieces it can make removal more difficult and recurrence risk higher. It is also possible to have multiple lipomas and perhaps the smaller ones were missed initially? It is hard to know definitively, but I do not think they will inevitably come back every time. I think it is important that you work with your doctor/surgeon to see if there is a different type of approach you could consider to ensure they are resolved definitively. 
Hope this helps!Kyle Kimura, MDFacial Plastic Surgeon

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

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

Karthik Ram, MRCS, DNB · Answer

Lipomas are known for recurrence at the same site or a near by area, but the scenario what u are saying is very unlikely. 
Sometimes at the site of lipoma removal there is apperance of a swelling because of accumulation of scar tissue.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question. If the lipoma is not fully removed, it will grow back.  Be sure that it is a lipoma and not a cyst.

If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Answers (4)

Answer: If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Answer: If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Answers (4)

Answer: If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Answer: If I keep getting lipoma removed, will it always come back?

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.