I have a lump that is above and to the side of my belly button. What could it be?

Question

It's hard I can only feel it by prodding my belly it can't bee seen from the outside only felt. It does go back further when pressed hard it seems smooth not jagged and the area is tender to prod. I have lots of stretch marks after 3 children.

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

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

It could be a lipoma but you first have to exclude another possibility, particularly in view of your having had three children - that it is a hernia. If so, that weakness in your abdominal wall could include some intra-abdominal fat, a loop of intestine, or both.You should speak to your internist about this and, most likely, be referred to a general surgeon who can evaluate your abdomen.  It may turn out to be just a lipoma but you cannot assume that from the outset.I hope that this helps and good luck,Dr. Alan EnglerMember of RealSelf100

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

It could be a lipoma, though what you are describing sounds much more like a hernia. It's best to schedule an appointment with a general surgeon who can help guide you to proper diagnosis and treatment options. "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and 
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person 
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."

I have a lump that is above and to the side of my belly button. What could it be?

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