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Small Lipoma Removed, Now Severe Bruising All Around Side- Normal? (photo)

My husband had a small lipoma, about the size of a quarter, removed from the left side of his back for cosmetic reasons 6 days ago (Tuesday). The surgeon removed the lipoma in his office with local anesthesia and the procedure was painless. Now, though, he has severe bruising that covers his entire side. He assumed it was from lying on that side at night but it has been this way for days now. Is this normal? He wants to work out, is this wise? What, if anything, should we do about the bruising?

Doctor Answers 4

November 11th, 2011

This bruising is a bit more than I'd expect

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While you should always expect a bit of bruising and/or swelling from a procedure like this, I'd say this is a bit more excessive than I normally see with this type of removal. It could be that all affected sites were not thoroughly cauterized, so there was some residual bleeding under the skin after the local anesthesia with epi wore off. I'd suggest you just give the surgeon a call and go in for a follow-up visit, just to reassure you and your husband that this is nothing to worry about.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD


Las Vegas Dermatologist
4.6 out of 5 stars 18 reviews

November 8th, 2011

Bruising following lipoma removal

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This is significantly more bruising than I would expect after simple lipoma excision.  When this kind of thing happens, it usually means there may have been a little bleeding in the tissue after closure of the incision.  Generally this will resolve without difficulty.  You will want to see your surgeon to be sure there is not also a hematoma, or blood clot in the space where the lipoma was removed.

Learn more: http://www.yorkyates.com

York Jay Yates, MD

York Jay Yates, MD
Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 189 reviews

November 8th, 2011

Bruising

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Bruising can happen after any surgery, big and small.The bruise will last about 3 weeks and then it will fade

Samir Shureih, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

November 7th, 2011

Bruising after Surgery

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I know your photo looks dramatic and the appearance can upset you but the good news is that most all bruising just looks bad and the body will clean it up by itself in a few weeks.

Aspirin, ibuprofen, Aleve and numerous other factors can cause heavy bruising. It sometimes happens even after minor skin surgery.

No special care is needed. Of course you will want to be gentle with the area and protect the wound against pulling the stitches out.

As in your case, the great thing is that the area is covered by clothing.

T. Wayne Day, MD
Nashville Dermatologic Surgeon

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.