What's My Best Option For Multiple Lipoma Removal? I Have Hundreds.

Question

I've got a hundred lipomas from my thighs to my arms, LG & S. There are so many that I think they are causing fatigue in my legs and causing some blood vessel restriction on my thighs. I'm considering going to Mexico or Canada to get cheaper rates for lipoma removal because I have so many. Is getting a student surgeon also a possible alternative? I'm pretty desperate and if any doctors out there can offer their candid advice I'd be forever grateful. -Ken, hopeful in Watsonville, CA

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

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

You most likely have the diagnosis of familial lipomatosis (other family members will have the same problem). Lipomatosis is believed to be a dominant trait in which multiple lipomas are present. Most are discrete, encapsulated lipomas on the trunk and extremitiesAlthough this condition is benign, many patients concerned with cosmesis seek removal of individual tumors. Treatment can include simple excision, endoscopic removal, or liposuction if large. Liposuction, whether laser Liposuction or traditional will leave some of the lipoma cells behind which over time will probably recur though it may take years.Find the most qualified plastic surgeon to take care of this problem.

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

I have a group of patients who present with lipomatosis. My approach is to excise the most painful and largest masses first and then to begin removal of the smaller lesions. These patients return every 3-6 months to tackle the next round. I am sure that you will be able to find a plastic surgeon who will work with you and establish a longterm relationship. Medical tourism across either our northern or southern border carries its own costs. Although multiple lipomas can be removed under anesthesia in an outpatient setting, I perform them in my office surgery suite under local with oral sedation so that the patient need not incur additional expense.

Stacey Whitehead, MD · Answer

Usually multiple lipomas are best addressed in the operating room where a patient can be sedated or under a general anesthetic.  How many are excised at any one time may depend on several things, but I would advise starting with only the ones that are most problematic.  If that number is literally in the hundreds, you may need more than one procedure scheduled or more than one practitioner working at a time.  If you are near a University, or a facility with residents, that might be an optioin.  I would encourage you to be fully evaluated, though, as sometimes trying to pinch pennies may result in a serious oversight.

Samir Shureih, MD · Answer

First your condition of multiple lipomas is not unusual. You need to make sure you do not have colon polyps, associated with multiple lipomas (Gardner syndrome)

	Removing these lipomas is done surgical and will leave a scar where the lipoma is removed. I am sure you will find a plastic surgeon here in the US to work with you and remove a bunch at a time at reasonable price, to cover his/her fees and the surgical tray and sutures. If you want to remove a hundred at a time that takes a lot of local anesthesia and few hours of surgery. Remember you WILL have a SCAR .

What's My Best Option For Multiple Lipoma Removal? I Have Hundreds.

Answers (6)

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

What's My Best Option For Multiple Lipoma Removal? I Have Hundreds.

Answers (6)

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Answer: Multiple lipomas

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipoma Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.