Mr. Xu’s lipoma surgery patient left a deep impression on me. Mainly because it was large and he waited for a long time before coming to me to have it removed. Lipoma removal surgery is one of the surgeries I perform every day. They come in different sizes on different parts of the body, but there are always some people who let them grow very large before deciding to have them removed. I wondered what the reason was. When he first noticed the tumor, it was only about 8 centimeters in size. Over time, it grew to nearly 20 centimeters and occupied about two-thirds of his back. He even joked that he looked like a camel hump. It’s hard to believe that for the past three years, he has been sleeping on his stomach because the tumor on his back made it impossible for him to lie flat. He also felt self-conscious about the lipoma on his back in social situations. He couldn’t go on hot springs trips with his family in the winter and was even afraid to walk arm in arm with his friends.
At first, he searched for surgery clinics in major hospitals, all of which recommended hospitalization for a week before returning home to rest. Because this long leave of absence would have a huge impact on his work, he gave up several times. Later, he accidentally found a surgery video I shared online and came to me for advice. After confirming his physical condition, I informed Mr. Xu that he could return home to rest on the day of the surgery and did not need to be hospitalized. If there were no major problems, he could go to work normally the next day, and he showed a very surprised expression.
On the day of the lipoma surgery, Mr. Xu came to the hospital for preoperative preparation as scheduled. He was still a little nervous before the surgery, but during the nearly one-hour surgery, he could still listen to music and chat with us about his experience with the lipoma on his body. After the tumor was completely removed from the patient, he even joked that he wanted to see it and was surprised to tell me that this 1.5-kilogram burden (weighed) was larger than he imagined.
What impressed me the most was that after the surgery, he told me that the surgery was much better than he imagined. He had been simulating the pain, horror, and coldness of the operating room in his mind, but it was all different from what he imagined. I think the hip-hop music played during the surgery could soothe his nervous heart. This was the first time in three years that he lay flat on his back. Finally, he felt great to unpack the burden on his back. He said, “If I had known earlier, I would have come for surgery earlier… It was so easy!”
Simple steps of lipoma removal/skin tumor removal surgery:
I will first explain the condition of the lipoma to the patient. After confirming the size, the surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia. In terms of incision design, I would like to share a special feature with you: I will try to complete the surgery with the smallest incision possible. Although this will cost me more time and effort during the surgery, I know that a smaller wound means faster recovery, lower postoperative pain, and the resulting scar will be smaller. At the beginning, I will slowly separate the tissue around the lipoma locally, completely remove the entire tumor, align the skin, and suture it. The entire surgery usually takes less than an hour, and you can go home on the same day without hospitalization.
Is there a non-surgical way?
At present, local injection of steroids can be used to shrink lipomas, but it cannot cure them. If there is a cosmetic need for no scars, there is also a minimally invasive liposuction surgery method, with only 2-3mm incisions. However, compared with the open surgery, it may not be able to completely remove all the tumor tissues and may easily cause recurrence. Therefore, the most fundamental method is still open surgery, which can reduce the chance of recurrence. Some lipomas contain vascular components, “vascular lipomas,” or grow deep enough to compress fascia or nerves, causing pain and even affecting nerve function, and surgery is also recommended for removal. Lipomas are mostly benign in clinical practice, but I sincerely recommend not to judge for yourself. When there is an unknown lump in your body, be sure to let a professional doctor help you diagnose and confirm whether you need to observe, biopsy, or undergo surgery to remove it. Especially when skin tumors grow very fast, are painful, secrete fluids, change skin color, and have wounds on the surface that cannot heal, please seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure your health!
Dr. Liu’s Reminder: Lipomas are common skin tumors. If surgery is the only treatment, don’t let them grow too large before deciding to have surgery. My philosophy of surgery is to minimize the size of the incision as much as possible to reduce postoperative pain and anxiety. I hope that patients with lipomas or other skin tumors can have the best surgical experience. If you have a skin tumor, don’t hesitate, come and let me take a look!
Mr. Xu’s surgery process video:
More lipoma surgery videos:
