What is Lipoma treatment?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 10 years of experience
What is the meaning of Lipoma treatment?
Surgical removal and liposuction are the most common means of lipoma treatment. Lipomas are lumps of fatty tissue that grow just under the skin and are situated between the skin and the underlying muscle layer. A lipoma is usually not tender and feels rubbery on touching. Lipomas move easily when touched.
Most lipomas are not painful and do not cause any health problems. Therefore, they rarely need any form of treatment. Lipomas can occur anywhere on the body but are most commonly seen on the neck, shoulders, arms, back, and trunk (torso). Lipomas are usually non-cancerous (benign) soft tissue tumors.
In this article, we will be discussing in detail lipoma and lipoma treatment.
- What are the types of Lipomas?
- What are the causes of Lipoma?
- What are the risk factors of Lipoma?
- What are the symptoms of Lipoma?
- How to diagnose Lipoma?
- What are the various Lipoma treatments?
- What are the side effects of Lipoma treatments?
- How to prevent Lipoma?
- What is the cost of Lipoma treatment in India?
What are the types of Lipomas?
The different types of lipomas are:
- Angiolipoma: This type of lipoma is made up of fat and blood vessels. They are often painful.
- Conventional: This type of lipoma contains white fat cells. These white fat cells store energy. This type of lipoma is the most common kind of lipoma.
- Fibrolipoma: This type of lipoma is made up of fat and fibrous tissue.
- Myelolipoma: This type of lipoma is made up of fat and tissues producing blood cells.
- Hibernoma: This type of lipoma is made up of brown fat. The brown fat cells generate heat and help in regulating the body temperature.
- Spindle cell: This type of lipoma is made up of fat cells that are longer than wider.
- Pleomorphic: This type of lipoma has fat cells of different shapes and sizes.
What are the causes of Lipoma?
- The cause of lipoma is not known.
- Lipoma is thought to be an inherited condition. An individual having a family history of lipoma is more likely to develop a lipoma.
What are the risk factors for Lipoma?
Certain factors increase the risk of developing lipoma. These factors include:
- Age: People between 40 and 60 years of age are more likely to develop a lipoma.
- Genetics
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Liver diseases ( Know more about- What are Liver Diseases? Types, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment )
- High cholesterol
- Dercum’s disease: This is a rare condition that causes painful lipomas. It is commonly seen on the legs, arms, and trunk. It is also known as Anders syndrome or adiposis dolorosa.
- Gardner syndrome: It is a rare condition in which several precancerous polyps develop in the large intestine, increasing the chances of lipoma. It is also known as familial adenomatous polyposis.
- Madelung’s disease: This condition is most often seen in men who consume an excess amount of alcohol. It leads to lipoma formation in the shoulders and neck region. It is also called multiple symmetric lipomatosis.
- Hereditary multiple lipomatosis: It is an inherited disorder, and is also known as familial multiple lipomatosis.
What are the symptoms of Lipoma?
A lipoma can be seen in any part of the body. Lipomas are generally:
- Painless: Most lipomas are painless. However, some lipomas can cause discomfort and pain depending on their size, location, and if blood vessels are present.
- Located just under the skin: A lipoma is located just beneath the skin and is commonly seen in the neck, back, shoulders, abdomen, arms, and thigh.
- Encapsulated: Most lipomas do not spread to the tissues surrounding them.
- Moveable: A lipoma usually moves on touching.
- Oval or round in shape: Lipomas are fatty lumps of rubbery tissue that are normally symmetrical, and are round or oval in shape.
- Diameter is less than 2 inches: Most lipomas have a diameter of less than 2 inches. However, a few lipomas can be as wide as 6 inches in diameter.
How to diagnose Lipoma?
- Physical examination:
- A lipoma is usually diagnosed during a physical examination by the doctor.
- The doctor may touch the lipoma to check if it is painful or tender.
- The patient’s medical history and family history are also noted.
- Biopsy:
- The doctor removes a sample of the lipoma and sends it to the laboratory for checking.
- This helps in confirming that the lipoma is not cancerous.
- Imaging tests:
- Certain imaging tests like an ultrasound, x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, or computed tomography (CT) scan may be recommended.
- These imaging tests help to obtain clear images of the internal organs of the body and help in checking the exact location of the lipoma, how deep it is, if there is a presence of any blood vessels, and whether it is pressing against any nerves or any other tissues.
- Imaging tests also help in differentiating between a lipoma and a cyst (abnormal, fluid-filled sacs which develop in the tissues in any part of the body).
What are the various Lipoma treatments?
A lipoma usually does not require any form of treatment. However, if the lipoma is causing discomfort or pain, or is growing in size the doctor may recommend the following treatments:
Steroid injections:
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- These injections can be used directly on the affected region.
- These injections help in shrinking the lipoma but do not completely remove it.
Surgical removal:
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- Most lipomas can be removed surgically.
- A local anesthesia is usually used to numb the surgical site area.
- In the case of small lipomas, the surgeon may use a minimal incision extraction procedure, where the surgeon makes a small cut in the skin and then squeezes out the lipoma. This procedure may cause less scarring.
- In the case of larger lipomas, the doctor may have to make a larger incision to remove the lipoma completely. ( Know more about- What is Bariatric Surgery? Purpose, Procedure, Aftercare, Cost )
- Recurrence of lipoma is usually rare after surgical removal.
Liposuction:
- The doctor uses a needle and a large syringe to remove the fatty lump of tissue in a liposuction procedure. ( Know more about- What is Liposuction? Purpose, Procedure, Aftercare, Cost )
What are the side effects of Lipoma treatments?
The side effects of Lipoma treatments are:
- Bruising
- Scarring
- Lumpy and uneven appearance
- Bleeding under the skin
- Risk of infection
- Changes in skin color
- Numbness
- Blood clot (gel-like collection of blood) formation
- Damage to the internal organs (rarely)
If you notice any of the above symptoms after lipoma treatment, contact your doctor.
How to prevent Lipoma?
Most cases of lipoma are inherited, and can therefore not be prevented. However, a few lifestyle changes can decrease your risk of developing lipoma. These changes include:
- Limit the consumption of alcohol
- Maintain a healthy body weight ( Know more about- What causes Obesity in Children? Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention )
- Exercise regularly
- Keep your blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels in control ( Know more about- Home Remedies for Diabetes )
What is the cost of Lipoma treatment in India?
The total cost of lipoma treatment in India can range from around INR 25,000 to INR 40,000. However, the cost of the procedure may vary across different hospitals. There are many big hospitals and specialized doctors in India for lipoma treatment. The cost varies across different hospitals.
If you are coming from abroad, in addition to the expenses of lipoma treatment, there will be a cost of staying in a hotel, cost of living, and cost of local travel. Apart from this, after the procedure, the patient is kept in hospital for 1 day and in the hotel for 7 days for recovery. So, the total cost of lipoma treatment in India will be around INR 33,000 to INR 75,000.
We hope that we could answer all your questions regarding lipoma through this article.
If you need more information about lipoma and its treatment, you can contact the General Surgeon.
We only aim to give you information through the article. We do not recommend medication, treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and correct treatment plan.
