Lipomas are soft doughy bulges of fatty tissue underneath the skin, caused by an accumulation of fat cells within a particular area. While classified as a tumor, a lipoma is a completely benign growth. If you believe that you have a lipoma, it is nonetheless important to have it evaluated to ensure it is not cancerous. In very rare cases, a lipoma can become a liposarcoma, a fat-cell cancer.

Although lipomas can grow anywhere on your body, they are most frequently found under the skin on the upper back, shoulders, arms, armpits, buttocks and upper thighs. They tend to grow slowly and rarely cause any discomfort unless impinging upon nerves underneath the skin.

If a lump is indeed determined to be a fatty lipoma, you may wish to have it removed. Perhaps your lipoma is visible and presents an aesthetic concern, or is in an area where it affects the fit of your undergarments or clothing. You may also be interested in excision if the lipoma is becoming painful or restricting movement as it gets larger and presses against the underlying nerves.

At our office lipoma removal is a safe, simple, and reliable procedure that involves removing the fatty tissue via surgical excision or liposuction. Based on the size and location of your lipoma, Dr. Ghatan will determine which technique is most appropriate for your case. Removal is commonly performed under local anesthesia, with the vast majority of patients returning home the same day. With patient care and comfort as our top priority, sedation is an option and provided as needed for the procedure.

If you are interested in learning more about lipoma removal, contact our office to schedule a consultation.