Lipoma Treatment

Lipoma Treatment

Description

A lipoma is a benign tumor composed of adipose tissue (body fat). It is the most common benign form of soft tissue tumor. Lipomas are soft to the touch, usually movable, and are generally painless. Many lipomas are small (under one centimeter diameter) but can enlarge to sizes greater than six centimeters. Lipomas are commonly found in adults from 40 to 60 years of age, but can also be found in younger adults and children.

Causes
The tendency to develop a lipoma is not necessarily hereditary although hereditary conditions, such as familial multiple lipomatosis, may include lipoma development.

Treatment
Usually, treatment of a lipoma is not necessary, unless the tumor becomes painful or restricts movement. They are usually removed for cosmetic reasons, if they grow very large, or for histopathology to check that they are not a more dangerous type of tumor such as a 'liposarcoma.' This last point can be important as the characteristics of a "bump" is not known until after it is removed and medically examined. Lipomas are normally removed by surgical excision.

Dr. Pearson's practice offers Lipoma Treatment of known or suspected Lipomas affecting the face, neck and scalp.

Advantages of Lipoma Treatment by a Facial Plastic Surgeon

• Minimize the deformity resulting from Lipoma removal
• Patients benefit from the cosmetic expertise of a plastic surgeon
• Surgical scars that are better concealed and less noticeable upon healing

Dr. Pearson is considered an expert in facial reconstruction and has extensive experience in facial reconstructive procedures. You may view some of his surgical results here. Dr. Pearson has recently published a chapter on this topic in a recently-released and highly-regarded Plastic Surgery textbook, entitled Advanced Therapy in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Candidates
You may be a candidate for Lipoma Treatment is you have a known of suspected Lipoma affecting the face, scalp or neck.

Surgery
Lipoma treatment is performed either in the office or an operating suite on an outpatient basis. Reconstruction is performed under local anesthesia alone or in combination with IV sedation based on your preferences. Patients typically return home shortly after the procedure.

Complementary Procedures
Some patients choose to undergo additional procedures at the same time while they are under anesthesia. During your consultation with Dr. Pearson, complementary procedures that may be available or appropriate in your case can be discussed.

Recovery
Following Lipoma Treatment, you can expect a few days of swelling and mild soreness which is well controlled with oral pain medications. Dressings are typically removed on the day after surgery. Sutures are removed between 5-7 days after the procedure. Makeup can be used at this point to camouflage any bruising or maturing scars. Swelling and bruising generally improve markedly by 5-7 days. You can resume most normal activities the following day, except for intense exercise, which may be resumed by about 2-3 weeks. Return to work is usually permissible within a few days, although many patients prefer to return to work after sutures have been removed.

Dr. Pearson has authored a medical texbook chapter on the topic of facial reconstructive surgery. This chapters appears in the highly-regarded Plastic Surgery textbook, Advanced Therapy in Facial and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. which is available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. Select the links below to learn more.

Advanced Therapy in Facial and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Local and Regional Flap Reconstruction