Information for patients. Lipoma. Surgery: Plastic Surgery. Supported by

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1 Information for patients Lipoma Surgery: Plastic Surgery Supported by

2 This leaflet will give you information about lipomas. What is a lipoma? Lipomas are soft, fatty lumps that grow under the skin. They are harmless and can usually be left alone if they are small and painless. Lipomas are non-cancerous (benign) and are caused by an overgrowth of fat cells. They can grow anywhere in the body where there are fat cells, but are usually seen on the: shoulders neck chest arms back buttock thigh They feel soft and doughy to touch and range from the size of a pea to a few centimetres across. They normally grow very slowly and don t usually cause any other problems. Occasionally, lipomas can develop deeper inside the body, so you won t be able to see or feel them. What causes a lipoma? Lipomas are fairly common, with about one in 100 people developing them. It s unusual to develop more than one or two lipomas, unless you have a rare inherited condition called familial multiple lipomatosis. This can cause lipomas to develop all over the body. Treatment options Most lipomas don t need to be removed. If the swelling is causing you problems such as pain, loss of function or if there is uncertainty regarding the diagnosis of lipoma then treatment may be needed. The treatment for a lipoma is normally an operation to remove it. 2

3 The type of anaesthetic needed will depend on the size and location of your lipoma. It will normally be done as a day case procedure under local or general anaesthetic. Lipomas are not removed on the NHS for cosmetic reasons alone. What are the risks associated with the operation? Most operations are straightforward, however with any surgical procedure there is a small chance of side effects or complications. This list of risks and complications is not intended to put you off having the operation; however you need to be aware of any potential risks before you sign a form consenting to the operation. Bleeding. There is a risk that you may experience bleeding from the site of the operation; this could result in a collection of blood beneath the stitch line. If this occurs you could experience pain and swelling in the area, the collection of blood may need to be removed, this may necessitate another operation. Infection. There is a risk of wound infection, which can occur at any time following surgery. Symptoms of infection may include increased swelling, redness, fluid leakage and increased pain at the site of the operation. If your wound becomes infected you may need treatment with antibiotics. After a wound infection healing could be delayed and you may need dressings for a prolonged period of time. Scarring. You will have a permanent, visible scar on your skin. Your scar may improve over a period of 18 months following surgery, however some people, for unknown reasons, develop raised, red and lumpy scars; unfortunately this is largely beyond surgical control. Certain areas of the body are prone to developing thicker and more unsightly scars. Scars on your shoulders, chest and ears are more at risk of becoming raised and lumpy than other areas. Scars on your back and limbs are at risk of becoming stretched and may not have as good a cosmetic result as scars in other areas. Wound breakdown. There is a risk that your wound may break down or gape following surgery. This could happen if the stitch line does not heal properly or if the blood supply to the skin becomes interrupted. If wound breakdown happens you will require dressings for a longer period of time than usual and your scar may not have as good a cosmetic result. 3

4 Reaction to the local anaesthetic. There is a very slight risk of developing a reaction to the local anaesthetic used to numb the skin before your operation. If this happens you could experience swelling of your lips or mouth and in more severe cases you may experience tightness of your chest or difficulty in breathing. Please inform the surgeon if this occurs during your operation. Recurrence of the lipoma. There is a risk that the lipoma can recur following the operation. If you feel the lump has recurred please see your GP for further advice. Further treatment. Very rarely, the results of the biopsy may show something other than a lipoma, in which case further investigations or treatment may be needed. Your results will be reviewed by your surgeon. There may be other risks specific to your individual case; your surgeon or nurse will discuss any further risks with you. Follow up care Some patients will not require any follow up after their operation If you require follow up, you will be given an appointment to return to the plastic surgery dressing clinic at the Royal Preston Hospital, or will be asked to have your dressings done at your GP s surgery by your Practice Nurse. At this appointment your wound will be checked and stitches will be removed if necessary. If you require further follow up, you will receive an appointment for the out patients department. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the soft tissue specialist nurses on Sources of further information

5 Useful contact numbers Royal Preston Hospital switch board Soft Tissue Specialist Nurse Ward 4 (Plastic Surgery Unit) Plastic Surgery Dressing Clinic (Mon-Fri 08:00 16:00) Questions about cancer? We re here to help, the cancer information & support service at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is open to anyone affected by cancer and is situated at both Chorley Hospital & Royal Preston Hospital. Contact us on or cancerinfocentre@lthtr.nhs.uk 5

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8 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Please ask if you would like help in understanding this information. This information can be made available in large print and in other languages. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is a smoke-free site On 31 May 2017 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals became a smoke-free organisation. From that date smoking is not permitted anywhere on any of our premises, either inside or outside the buildings. Our staff will ask you about your smoking status when you come to hospital and will offer you support and advice about stopping smoking including Nicotine Replacement Therapy to help manage your symptoms of withdrawal. If you want to stop smoking you can also contact the Quit Squad Freephone Department: Plastic Surgery Division: Surgery Production date: July 2017 Review date: July 2020