Is lipoma removal via liposuction usually successfull?

Question

I have over 50 lipomas in each thigh and several in my upper arms as well. I do not want all the scars on my legs or arms, so I am considering liposuction to have the lipomas removed. When I spoke to my general practitioner, he informed me that this is not the way to go about it and I would need to get each one individually removed, but I have read online that some people do elect to have the liposuction procedure to remove the lipomas. Or if there is another procedure that you know of??

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Remval of lipomas by liposuction doesn’t really work that well.  By the description of your lipomas,  each could be popped out through a tiny incision under local anesthesia.  Works better than lipo.

Robert M. Lowen, MD · Answer

No, not really. Years ago I developed a method of removing small numbers of them with SmartLipo laser which could melt the lipomas. But this had drawbacks: first of all, just as with liposuction, you can't be sure that you have melted all the lipoma, so recurrence is more likely.  Second, the laser  generates heat that can injure the longitudinally-running cutaneous sensory nerves of the arms and thighs. Third, the procedure is too tedious for large numbers of lipomas.
So it turns out that it is possible to remove many lipomas individually through a small 1/4" incision with a #11 blade. The incision stretches a bit to allow dissection around the lipoma with blunt Stevens tenotomy scissors, after which the lipoma can be extruded by pinching below it or clamping it and removing it with a combination of pulling and extrusion and more dissection or debulking as needed.
I have done as many as 80 lipomas at a time with this method. The incision is closed in layers with  a dermal dissolving suture and a subcuticular pull-out suture that can be left in for ten days without getting stitch marks, thus contributing to a better-healed incision that is less likely to open up.  There may be many small scars, but they usually heal well. Then if necessary or desired, we can treat them all with the fractional 1540 erbium scar laser. 
Patients who have had this done have accepted the trade-off of the small scars, which gradually fade away, for the removal of their many lipomas.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your question.  In general lipoma removal through liposuction is rarely successful long-term and the better option is direct excision through small incisions.  Liposuction can not reasonably be expected to remove the entire lipoma, allowing for eventual recurrence of the mass. Hope this helps.

Libby Copeland-Halperin, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. It is difficult to say without examining you in-person and discussing your goals. I often perform lipoma removal through a combination of direct excision (to remove the capsule around the lipoma) and liposuction, which allows me to perform this surgery through a very small incision even for large lipomas (and have published on the use of this technique). With multiple lipomas, as you describe, liposuction could help reduce the lipomas, though without removing the capsules (which would require additional small incisions), there is a higher chance that the lipomas could come back. I recommend you speak with a fully-trained plastic surgeon to discuss your options.

Is lipoma removal via liposuction usually successfull?

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Is lipoma removal via liposuction usually successfull?

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Answer: Lipoma removal and liposuction

Answer: Lipoma removal and liposuction

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Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

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