Should I be concerned about a little bit of pain tenderness and a red scar after three months of a lipoma removal? (Photo)

Question

a little bit of pain tenderness and a red scar after three months of a lipoma removal

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

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph.  It appears that your scar is a bit thickened and I would recommend treatment options to help soften the scar - try silicone based scar creams, cover the area with sunblock daily, and talk to your surgeon about injection with a dilute steroid injection.  Hope this helps.

Terence Goh, MBBS, MRCS(Ed), FAMS (Plast Surg) · Answer

Dear Khalilobeid11,
Thank you for your question and sharing your photographs with us. The scar is red and elevated suggestive of a hypertrophic scar and there are also "caterpillar marks" along the edge of the scar from the sutures applied during wound closure. 
You will need to apply a silicone based scar cream twice a day to the scar. In Singapore, we often use Dermatix Ultra or Strataderm. They are effective. Sunblock is also applied onto the silicone scar cream to prevent the hyper pigmentation of the scar. This is done every 3-4 hours during all the hours of sunrise ie. from 7am to 7pm. The sunblock to be used has to be SPF 35 and above. If there is little improvement, steroid injections may be given to help to flatten the scars. Pulse Dye Laser can also help to reduce the redness of the scar.  You should seek a consultation with your plastic surgeon who will be able to advise you on treatments for your scar. 
I hope this answers your question. Have a great week ahead and all the best!
Dr. Terence Goh
Plastic Surgeon, SingaporeMBBS (S'pore), MRCS (Edinburgh), MMed (S’pore)Fellow, Academy of Medicine, Singapore (Plastic Surgery)President, Singapore Association of Plastic Surgeons (SAPS)International Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

Should I be concerned about a little bit of pain tenderness and a red scar after three months of a lipoma removal? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

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Should I be concerned about a little bit of pain tenderness and a red scar after three months of a lipoma removal? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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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.