Painful lipoma in calf. What are the risks of having this removed? What causes the pain and how should it be removed? (Photo)

lipoma removal should be very straightforward if you go to a plastic surgeon.   I remove many lipomas through very small incisions.  If you go to the wrong type of specialist, it may be more difficult for them or they may be more reluctant to operate on it.  Also some doctors make far too large an incision to remove the lipoma.  I could remove yours under  local anesthesia with a half inch incision.

Thank you for your question and pictures. This looks like a pretty straightforward lipoma of the calf area and can be surgically removed without any need for imaging. I usually only order imaging studies for lipomas if I think they are involving the muscle or have irregular borders. The main risks of lipoma surgery are bleeding, infection, recurrence, and post-op fluid collection. Make sure you see a board certified surgeon for an in-person examination. Best wishes.

Dear theresa.linton,Thank you for your question. Most lipomas are superficial and can eaisly be removed in the office, under local anesthesia with little risk. There is very low risk to any of the superficial veins in the area. If the lipoma feels deeper (intramuscular) I will rarely order an MRI. A CT scan is not indicated because it does not visualize soft tissue well (CT scan is better for bone).Good luck,Nirmal R. Nathan, M.D.

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
RealSelf Top Doctor and RealSelf Hall of Fame

Dear theresa.linton,
lipoma can be diagnosed after an examination and in most cases it doesn't require imaging techniques such as CT or MRI. Also, lipoma usually doesn't cause pain. It can cause pain as it grows and creates pressure on surrounding nerves. In case this is lipoma, a board-certified plastic surgeon should be able to remove it under local anesthesia. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for sharing your question and photograph. Assuming this is a lipoma it can be removed with a small in-office procedure under local anesthesia.  Typically the diagnosis can be made with physical exam alone and does not require imaging.  Hope this helps.