Lipoma Treatment

Lipomas are benign or non-cancerous soft tissue tumors that usually grow slowly. Although lipomas can occur anywhere on the body, they are most commonly seen on the back, arms, legs, shoulders, neck, forehead, and trunk area.

Types:

The different types of lipomas include:

1. Conventional: These types of lipomas contain white fat cells that store energy.
2. Angiolipoma: They contain blood vessels and fat, and are usually painful.
3. Fibrolipoma: These types of lipomas are usually made up of fibrous tissue and fat.
4. Myelolipoma: They contain fat and tissues that can produce blood cells.
5. Hibernoma: These types of lipomas contain brown fat that generates heat and helps in regulating body temperature.
6. Spindle cell: These lipomas contain fat cells that are longer than they are wider.
7. Pleomorphic: These types of lipomas contain fat cells of various shapes and sizes.

 

Symptoms

The exact cause of lipoma is not known. It is usually an inherited condition and runs in families.

Risk factors:
The following factors could increase your risk of developing lipoma:

• Age between 40 and 60 years 
• Genetics
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High cholesterol 
• Liver diseases
• Dercum’s disease / Anders syndrome / adiposis dolorosa (a rare condition that leads to the growth of painful lipomas)
• Gardner syndrome (a condition that leads to the development of many precancerous polyps in the large intestine)
• Madelung’s disease (a condition commonly seen in alcoholic men)
• Hereditary multiple lipomatosis (an inherited disorder)

Symptoms:
Lipomas may show the following signs or symptoms:

1. Round or oval-shaped lumps of fatty tissue present just below the skin surface
2. Soft and movable with slight finger pressure
3. Diameter less than 2 inches, but may grow in size 
4. Sometimes painful

Diagnosis

1. Physical examination: The doctor will check the lipoma and touch it to see if it causes any tenderness.
2. Biopsy: The doctor will excise a portion of the lipoma and send it to the laboratory to check if the sample is cancerous.
3. Imaging tests: Imaging tests like CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds help in obtaining a clear picture of the lipoma and the internal body organs. These tests help the doctor to differentiate between a lipoma and a cyst (fluid-filled sac). These tests also help in identifying the location of the lipoma, its depth, if it is pressing against nerves or tissues, and if it has blood vessels.

 

Treatment

If a lipoma is asymptomatic and not causing any discomfort, no treatment is necessary. However, painful or symptomatic lipomas may be treated in the following ways:

1. Non-surgical methods:
a) Steroid injections:
These injections are given by the doctor in the lipoma area.
They help in shrinking the lipoma, but cannot eliminate them completely.

2. Surgical methods:

a) Surgical removal:
Most types of lipomas can be excised surgically.
The lipoma area is first numbed using local anesthesia.
For small lipomas, the surgeon makes a small, minimal incision or cut in the skin and then squeezes out the lipoma. This procedure leads to minimal scarring.
For large lipomas, the surgeon makes a larger incision for the complete removal of the lipoma.

b) Liposuction:
This procedure involves the use of a needle and a large syringe for the removal of the fatty lump of tissue.

Risks

The complications associated with untreated lipoma include:

1. Swelling
2. Pain
3. Compression of blood vessels
4. Spread to other body parts

The complications associated with lipoma treatments include:

1. Scarring
2. Bruising
3. Uneven, lumpy appearance
4. Bleeding under the skin
5. Infection 
6. Changes in skin color
7. Numbness
8. Blood clot formation
9. Damage to the internal organs 

 

After Procedure

1. It is normal to experience some pain and swelling after the removal of the lipoma surgically.
2. The patient can usually go home on the same day after surgery.
3. If the surgeon has used dissolvable sutures, they usually dissolve on their own. The non-dissolvable sutures need to be removed by the doctor after seven to ten days.
4. You can manage your discomfort by taking pain-relieving medications and applying ice on the treatment area to reduce swelling.
5. Avoid strenuous activities for at least a week after surgery.
6. Lipomas usually do not recur after surgery. However, if they grow back again, the doctor may recommend a second surgery.

Home remedies:

The following home remedies can help in treating and shrinking the lipoma:

1. Create an ointment using herbs and natural oils like neem and flaxseed. Apply this ointment to the lipoma area.
2. Use chickweed with neem oil, flaxseed oil, or tea base to make a paste. Apply this paste directly to the lump area.
3. Combine turmeric with flaxseed oil or neem oil to make an ointment for lipoma.
4. Mix about half a spoon of dried sage with two to three spoons of flaxseed and neem oil to form a mixture that helps in dissolving the fatty tissues.
5. Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, as they have antioxidants that can help in decreasing the amount of fat in the blood.
6. Eat protein-rich foods like fish, chicken, beans, and tofu.
7. Limit the consumption of red meat.
8. Try and switch to organic foods to reduce the number of preservatives and additives that you consume.

Prevention:

Most cases of lipoma cannot be prevented, as they are genetic in nature. However, the following tips may reduce the risk of developing a lipoma:

1. Limit alcohol consumption
2. Exercise regularly
3. Maintain a healthy body weight
4. Keep your cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control

Cost of lipoma treatment in India- 

The cost of non-surgical methods for lipoma treatment in India is between INR 2,000 to INR 5,000.
The cost of surgical methods for lipoma treatment in Mumbai is between INR 30,000 to INR 1,00,000.
The cost of surgical methods for lipoma treatment in Delhi is between INR 28,000 to INR 95,000.
The cost of surgical methods for lipoma treatment in Bangalore is between INR 28,000 to INR 95,000.
The cost of surgical methods for lipoma treatment in Chennai is between INR 25,000 to INR 90,000.