A lipoma is a benign growth, also called a fatty lump. It is quite common, even in children. In principle, it is a harmless condition, provided that a lipoma does not become too large or put pressure on surrounding tissues. The latter can cause pain in some cases. What can be done about a lipoma? A lipoma is a benign growth of fat cells. The tumor is located in the subcutaneous tissue, just under the skin and feels soft. It is usually located above the underlying muscle layer. A lipoma can occur all over the body, but it prefers the forearms, neck and trunk. They are usually between 0.5 and 3 centimeters in size. Some people suffer from multiple lipomas. Colloquially, a lipoma is usually called a fat lump or fat lump.
Who gets lipomas
Unfortunately, the cause of lipomas is not known. One gets them and the other doesn’t. Lipomas are more common in women than in men. Heredity plays a role. If you have ever been diagnosed with a lipoma, there is a slightly greater than average chance that you will get it again elsewhere on the body. You are sensitive to this. If there is any doubt as to whether the abnormality is indeed a lipoma, an ultrasound is often performed.
Lipoma in children
Lipomas in children are usually not removed, but sometimes the lipoma is painful because it presses on nerves or it continues to grow. In those cases, the lipoma will be removed. In children this is always done under general anesthesia. After the operation you will be able to take your child home again. We often have to wait a while to see if everything goes well.
Your child probably has stitches. If they are not dissolvable stitches, they must be removed after seven to ten days by the doctor or at the outpatient clinic. If there is a plaster over the wound, it must remain on for at least 24 hours. Sometimes it has been a major operation and the child has a pressure bandage on the wound. In that case, the hospital will give you instructions on how to deal with this.
Removal in adults
Lipomas do not often cause complaints. Usually the swelling is not painful and it grows very slowly. Sometimes growth even stands still for several years. There are many people with lipomas who do not know they have one. Larger than 4 cm is a reason for most surgeons to remove a lipoma. Lipomas on the back often cause pain when they grow larger. Lipomas are surgically removed when they are bothersome, painful, become too large or are in a conspicuous place. This is done through an incision in the skin. Removal is usually done under local anesthesia at the surgical clinic. If the lipoma is not completely removed, it will eventually come back. The remaining part simply continues to proliferate.
Tumescent liposclupture
This is a procedure done by a plastic surgeon. A tumescent fluid is injected that loosens the lipoma, making it easier to remove. This produces less scar tissue. The procedure is similar to liposuction. Please contact your insurance company in advance. Not every insurance covers this procedure.
In any case, what you should keep in mind is that a lipoma is not malignant . It is wise to have the lump assessed by your GP.