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Skin Lipoma Surgery

DrGanesh DP 2
Dr Ganesh Ramalingam

Specialist in General Surgery

Procedure

Lipoma Treatment In A Nutshell

  • The most common method of treating the lipoma is by removing it through surgery. While smaller lipomas are removed by enucleation, larger lipomas are excised.
  • Lipomas do not go away on their own, so it is always advisable to have them removed if it bothers you.
  • Lipomas that grow rapidly may be required to undergo further scans to determine if the nature of the growth may be cancerous.
  • Most lipoma treatments are conducted under local anaesthesia, if your lipoma grows too large, you may be required to be operated on under general anaesthesia.
  • Lipoma treatments are insurance claimable.
  • Lipoma treatments in Singapore are considered to be minimally invasive, and most patients have fast recovery after the surgery.
  • Downtime: No physical or strenuous activities for 1 week. You may be discharged the same day after surgery.

Table of Contents

Skin Lipoma Surgery

What Is Skin Lipoma Surgery?

The most common way of treating the lipoma is removing it through surgery. While smaller lipomas are removed by enucleation, larger lipomas are excised.

Enucleation is performed if your lipoma is very small. In enucleation, our surgeon removes the lipoma from the surrounding tissues via a small incision. The lipoma is then enucleated. As the incision is very small, sutures are not required and your wound is simply covered with a pressure dressing.

Excision is performed if your lipoma is large. In excision, our surgeon removes the lipoma and a margin of surrounding tissues via a few larger incisions over the lipoma. Through the opening, he or she starts to dissect through the subcutaneous fat using a scalpel to reach the tumour underneath while avoiding the blood vessels and nerves in that area. The incision is later closed with sutures.

The surgery can be done in the doctor’s office or as an outpatient procedure. This procedure is carried out under local anaesthesia in most cases, except in cases where the lipoma is in an area that is not easily accessible through a simple incision through your skin. In such cases, you may have to be in an operating room where the lipoma is removed under general anaesthesia.

When Should I Consider Getting My Lipoma Treated?

A lipoma that is left alone usually does not cause any problems. However, it can be excised if the lump bothers you. A specialist’s advice in this field will allow for you to receive the best treatment recommendation based on various factors, including:

  • The size of your lipoma
  • The number of skin tumours you have
  • Whether the lipoma is painful
  • Whether the size of the lipoma is increasing
  • Your personal history of skin cancer
  • Your family history of skin cancer

Can I Get Rid of A Skin Lipoma Naturally?

A lipoma is the result of fatty tissue and cannot be reduced through self-care measures.

Warm compresses may work for other types of skin lumps, but they prove ineffective in treating a lipoma because these formations contain fat cells that do not respond well to heat treatment.

Methods such as hot baths or warm compresses could potentially cause damage if applied incorrectly. You should never try to remove a lipoma by yourself, consider seeking professional medical advice when dealing with a lipoma removal.

Do Lipomas Need to Be Scanned Before Removal?

When a lipoma is discovered, it is important to recognise the characteristics of your specific type.

For example, some slow growing and painless lipomas do not require any scans, while others that grow quickly may require further investigations.

If a lipoma has grown beyond 5cm, you may be advised to undergo a scan to check for signs of abnormalities. Additionally, an MRI may also be necessary if swelling happens very suddenly as these traits are not common in a skin lipoma. If you are unsure of what to do if you have a skin lipoma, consider seeking medical advice.

Skin Lipoma Surgery

What are the Risks of Lipoma Removal?

A permanent scar will form after the removal of your lipoma, and this is unavoidable. Other risks include wound infection, poor scarring (with lumpy or stretched scars).

Although it is very rare, some people may experience a recurrence in which you may have another lipoma forming in a similar location as the previous one.

Is Lipoma Surgery Painful?

A lipoma surgery is rarely painful. Most lipoma treatments in Singapore will be conducted with local anaesthesia, meaning you may feel pressure and pushing, but no pain.

If the lipoma is large or deep, our doctor may suggest that the operation be done under general anaesthetic for a more comfortable experience with less discomfort.

What To Expect?

  • Our doctor may advise you to stop your medications for a few weeks before the procedure. This is because some medications may increase a person’s chances of bleeding.
  • Cut off smoking and alcohol before the procedure.
  • Do not apply any cosmetics, lotions, deodorant or medicines to the affected area before the procedure.
  • Fast as instructed before the procedure.

Our surgeon will give you an injection for local anaesthesia around the lipoma.
The procedure is usually completed within 15 minutes.

In enucleation:

  • Our surgeon makes a small incision of three to four millimetres in the skin over your lipoma.
  • A curette is used to separate the lipoma from the surrounding normal tissue.
  • The lipoma is completely removed.
  • A pressure dressing is used to cover the wound.

In excision:

  • Our surgeon makes a few incisions in the skin over your lipoma.
  • A light pull is applied to the flap of skin created by the incisions and our surgeon cuts off the lipoma from the surrounding normal tissue.
  • The resulting tissue space is closed with absorbable suture material.
  • Your skin is closed using non-absorbable sutures.
  • You may be discharged on the day of the procedure.
  • You may be required to use sanitary napkins for the bleeding for a week or so.
  • Use a heat pad or warm compress to relieve the pain from the incision.
  • Keep the wound clean and dry. Gently wash the wound under mild soap.
  • Change the dressings on your wound after showering.
  • You may apply antibiotics ointment to cleanse your surgical wound.
  • You may resume your daily activities within a few days depending on the size and location where the lipoma was removed.
  • Skin sutures may be removed in around 1 to 2 weeks.

Can Lipomas Come Back After Removal?

The risk of a lipoma returning is small, but it does happen. The vast majority do not come back or if they do, it is many years later and only on rare occasions when there has been some sort of tissue loss that may trigger regrowth.

How Long Does it Take to Recover After Skin Lipoma treatment?

Most patients who undergo lipoma treatment will be able to return home on the same day after their surgery. The wound will be dressed, but that should not hinder your activity.

In most cases, our doctor will also use absorbable stitches that do not require removal, these stitches will dissolve after 10 to 14 days.

Once the stitches have dissolved, you should require no more than a week to fully recover. You should avoid applying any form of cream, lotion, or makeup to the location of the wound until it has fully healed to prevent infection.

Is Lipoma Removal Insurance Claimable?

Lipoma treatment in Singapore is insurance claimable. 

An Integrated Shield Plan allows Singaporeans to obtain additional coverage on top of what Medishield Life offers for private healthcare.

Suppose you have purchased a hospital plan rider from your insurer, which covers the cost of a deductible along with co-insurance, it is possible that you are eligible to receive cashless treatment during admission at any given time!

For additional queries on fees & costings for lipoma treatment, visit our Fees & Costings Page for more information.

How Much Does it Cost to Have a Lipoma Removed?

The surgeon’s fees involved in removing a lipoma range from $900 – $3,100 (SA701S/2A), excluding hospital and consumable fees. 

Final costs depend on hospital choice, complexity of surgery, and insurance coverage. For more details, see our lipoma removal costing page.

Why Choose Us For Your Lipoma Removal In Singapore?

Dr Ganesh at G & L Surgical Clinic strives to prioritise his patients’ recovery and comfort. Having had adequate experience in performing lipoma removal surgeries for numerous patients for many years in Singapore.

Furthermore, the staff at G & L Surgical Clinic have been thoroughly and adequately trained to make your experience a comfortable and hassle-free one. Whether you intend to undergo our lipoma removals or other medical services in Singapore, you can rest assured that you will be properly and sufficiently cared for by trained professionals.

Organise a consultation with our surgeons for further assistance on lipoma removal surgeries in Singapore.