Lipoma Surgery

Lipoma is not a cancerous ailment. It is a fatty lump of soft tissue that grows between the skin and underlying layers of muscle. These lumps are mostly detected in middle aged people who already have a history of disorders, such as Cowden syndrome, Madelung disease, or Gardner syndrome. In rare cases, they have been found in children too. Their causes are not determined yet, but they are mostly attributed to genetic factors in the family line.

They can occur anywhere in the body wherever storage of fat is evident. Internally, they may occur in esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Externally, they may appear on neck, back, thighs, buttocks, upper arms, and armpits. Usually, they are harmless. But if they start causing pain and discomfort, lipoma surgery becomes necessary.

• Lipoma surgery is a method of removing the huge lumps of fatty tissue that grow beneath the skin. The procedure starts with a local anesthetic injection around the lipoma.
• Once the sensitivity to pain has subdued completely, an incision is made to remove the tissue.

• After the removal of lipoma, the wound is stitched up or is covered up with sutures and clips.

• In case the lipoma has grown in deeper layers of skin tissue, which is not visible externally, a general anesthesia is used. During one surgery, multiple lipomas may be removed.
• The entire surgical procedure lasts for about 20 minutes for removal of one lipoma. However, if there are multiple lipomas, the procedure may last for 90 minutes or more.

• In some cases, where the lipomas are not very big, non surgical treatments like steroid injections and liposuction are used to shrink the fat tissue.

The part of the body that has undergone the procedure may not be very functional for the first two weeks post surgery. So, doctors advise the person to practice gentle motion exercises to keep the operated limb functional. The operated part is dressed up and the dressing remains intact for three days.

Once the dressing is removed, there are sterile stickers on the wound, which are to be untouched for a week after the surgery. They can be removed by your surgeon in the next visit. Pathology reports are usually ready within 3-5 working days post surgery.

If these reports indicate no infection, then the person is perfectly fine. A couple of weeks post surgery, the person can resume his normal routine.

The complications associated with this procedure can increase if there are large lipomas occurring in multiple locations of the body internally. In such cases, there is a high risk involved, as the doctor has to take proper care to avoid cutting nerves or muscles in the process.

This kind of risk is posed in the surgery if the lump is deep inside the tissue (not visible to naked eye) or is found somewhere internally in the body. Complications can lead to damaging nerves, injuring blood vessels, internal bruising, and infection.

This procedure is not always under the insurance cover as most of the time, it is done for cosmetic reasons. However, if the condition is serious, indicating infection and pus secretion, it can be covered under medical insurance with a letter from the doctor citing medical complication.

The cost primarily depends on the size of lipoma, its location in the body, and the number of lumps that have erupted in the body. Depending on these factors, the cost usually ranges between USD 350 - USD 7000. If general anesthesia is used, the cost may shoot more, going as high as USD7000.

Lipomas are not harmful as long they do not cause pain or do not become a reason for other diseases and ailments. In most cases, people opt for surgery only for cosmetic reasons. Also, it is not very painful and the recovery time is very less. But in case there is pain in the operated part of the body even after 3 weeks post surgery, then it is best to seek immediate medical attention.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.