“Do lipomas grow back after surgical removal?”
I am a 40 year old male. I want to know if lipomas grow back after surgical removal?
4 Answers
Bilateral foot swelling and liver below ribs.
Lipomas can grow back after surgery. Sometimes during surgery, the "capsule" that contains the tissue can break or the lipoma may not be completely removed which can increase the risk of recurrence.
Soft tissue masses (STMs) such as benign non-cancerous lipomas must be completely removed at the time of surgery to prevent it from coming back. Make sure your surgeon is very comfortable with the workup and treatment of STMs both benign and cancerous.
The general answer is no, but there is always a risk of recurrence (growing back) after removal. I typically quote my patients with <5% risk of it coming back. I think the risk is higher with larger ones (>5 cm) and in patients with multiple ones.
For lipomas larger than 1-2 cm, I like to do this in the operating room to ensure I get the entire mass out to decrease the chance of recurrence. I find that sometimes is hard to do in an office setting with only local anesthesia.
For lipomas larger than 1-2 cm, I like to do this in the operating room to ensure I get the entire mass out to decrease the chance of recurrence. I find that sometimes is hard to do in an office setting with only local anesthesia.
