My foot doctor says I have a lipoma. I have ankle pain, Can it be removed under local anesthesia?

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

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  In most cases lipomas can be removed with a small, in-office procedure.  Find a local ASPS board certified plastic surgeon to consult with.

Most of the time lipomas can be removed under local anesthesia, though there are some factors that need to be assessed, such as location to critical structures, size of lipoma, etc.  A surgeon will be able to determine if your lipoma is amenable to removal under local anesthesia after a close examination.