What kind of Doctor should remove a head lipoma?

Question

I went to a dermatologist to have a cyst removed from my head. It turned out to be a lipoma instead. He said it was much bigger then he thought and was not sure how big it actually was. He removed some of it to be tested. He said that it totally infiltrated by scalp and hair roots. He had never seen anything like it. He referred me to ENT because the pain has come back. But ENT said they could not help and sent me to plastics. I have an appointment set but is plastics right?

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.  Yes a plastic surgeon is your best option to have the lipoma completely excised to limit the chance of recurrence while also limiting the amount of scarring that may develop.  Best wishes.

Andrea Jarchow Garcia, MD · Answer

In general, the vast majority of lipomas are completely benign. On the face and neck, the scalp is a very common location for lipoma growth. You are definitely in good hands seeing either a board-certified facial plastic surgeon or board-certified plastic surgeon. It is important to remove the lipoma in total to prevent recurrence. Even if it requires a larger incision, the scalp tissue heals well. 
Do not worry to much about it. It should still be very straight-forward to remove!

What kind of Doctor should remove a head lipoma?

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What kind of Doctor should remove a head lipoma?

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