A lipoma or wen is a natural formation on the human body in the form of a small lump or lump. It occurs in the place where adipose tissue is present - on the head, neck, forehead, arms, back.
Removal of lipomas is carried out in different ways - from simple ones, using a surgical scalpel, to modern ones, using expensive laser or radio wave equipment.
The owners of lipomas are often women over 40 years old and less often men. These subcutaneous formations do not pose any danger to humans if you contact a surgeon in time and remove them correctly. The main thing is to remember that a benign formation can develop into a dangerous tumor, which will create serious problems if it is not removed in time.
Causes of lipoma formation
Currently, researchers have not been able to come to a clear conclusion about the reason why lipomas form. Among the most likely causes of the appearance of wen are malfunctions of the thyroid gland, poor-quality nutrition, which provokes the accumulation of toxins in adipose tissue, genetic predisposition, hormonal imbalances, problems in the functioning of the liver and gall bladder.
As a rule, wen do not degenerate into malignant formations. However, the problem is that although lipomas do not grow into neighboring tissues, they compress them when they grow in size. This provokes metabolic disorders and can cause pain. In addition, malignant tumors, such as liposarcoma, are often “masked” as lipomas. Therefore, in some cases, it is better to remove lipomas.
Thus, the reason for contacting a doctor should be an increase in the size of the formation or its shape, as well as the appearance of any physical discomfort associated with the lipoma. Causes for alarm are redness of the skin over the formation, itching or peeling.
According to doctors, it is necessary to remove fatty tissues located next to a cluster of blood vessels or nerve cells. In addition, formations located in areas of the skin that are exposed to frequent external influences should be cut out.
Why do you need to remove lipomas on the neck?
There are many reasons:
- The neck is a problem area. The lump can put pressure on the throat, making it difficult to breathe and swallow. In addition, due to the collar in this area, any new growths are more quickly injured. “Bumps” on the ear are easier to bear: the ear is not injured as often.
- Lipoma can become inflamed. Malignant tumors arising on the “base” of such neoplasms cannot be excluded.
- Any damage may cause blood to bleed, leading to infection.
Removing a wen is not a problem, especially if we are talking about a city like Moscow. There are many clinics and a lot of modern equipment here.
Lipoma removal methods
Today, there are several methods for removing wen. The decision on which method to use for surgical intervention is made in each specific case by the doctor after diagnosing the formation. It includes visual examination, palpation, ultrasound, CT or MRI, and biopsy. Tumors are removed by conventional surgical excision, endoscopy, radioknife, or laser removal. Laser lipoma removal is considered one of the most effective and innovative methods.
Pros and cons of laser removal
Laser lipoma removal is a method that is in high demand, despite the rather high cost of the procedure. The reason for this is that laser removal has an impressive list of undeniable advantages compared to other methods of combating fatty tissue. We list only the main ones.
- Thanks to the ability to adjust the equipment as accurately as possible, unnecessary damage to the tissues located next to the lipoma is eliminated.
- The laser itself coagulates the blood vessels, so the operation is virtually bloodless.
- The possibility of developing postoperative complications is practically excluded, since the laser beam has a bactericidal effect, disinfecting the surgical field.
- The non-contact nature of the method eliminates the possibility of wound infection by pathogenic organisms during surgery.
- After the operation there are no unaesthetic scars left.
- During surgery, the tumor is not completely destroyed, as a result of which histological analysis can be performed.
- The number of relapses with laser removal is negligible, since this method allows you to remove the lipoma along with the capsule.
- After the intervention, the patient recovers completely within one to two weeks.
However, like any surgical intervention, laser lipoma removal also has some negative characteristics. If the tumor is very large, the laser beam may accidentally affect nearby vessels and nerves. If the tumor is very tiny, then the laser simply destroys it, leaving no material for histological analysis.
Laser removal is not used if the wen is located very deep in the tissues. In this case, only traditional surgical excision will be effective.
Finally, the financial aspect is of considerable importance. Laser removal is an extremely expensive operation, so not everyone can afford it.
Preparation stage
The lipoma removal operation is performed under anesthesia, since the patient still experiences minor pain. Regardless of the method of removal, the patient is scheduled for an examination 2 days in advance, where he must:
- donate blood and urine for general examination;
- do an ultrasound of the lipoma;
- donate blood to check for HIV, syphilis;
- be examined by a cardiologist;
- if the wen is located close to bone tissue, take an x-ray.
Lastly, after all of the above has been checked, the patient is examined for allergies to painkillers. If available, anesthesia is selected individually for each patient.
How is laser lipoma removal performed?
Laser excision of wen is usually performed by a general surgeon. The procedure can also be performed by an oncologist or plastic surgeon. Before the procedure, the patient must undergo all necessary tests and undergo an ultrasound. In some cases, a biopsy of the formation is performed to determine its structure. If the lipoma is located on the scalp, the required area is shaved.
Laser removal of fatty tissues is performed under local anesthesia. Lidocaine injections are used as an anesthetic. The lipoma removal procedure itself lasts from half an hour to forty minutes, depending on where exactly the tumor is located and what size it is.
First, the doctor uses a laser beam to cut the skin over the wen and spread the edges of the incision to allow wider access. Through this incision, the wen capsule is captured with a clamp. The surgeon pulls it up and uses a laser to remove the lipoma from the surrounding tissue, and then finally cleans out the location of the lipoma. If the neoplasm is small, the wound is not sutured - it is simply covered with a sterile bandage. If the wen was large, a cosmetic suture is applied to the wound. One of the advantages of laser surgery is that the beam of the device promotes tissue regeneration, as a result of which a postoperative scar does not form.
In most cases, the patient can return to normal life almost immediately after surgery. In particularly difficult cases, several days of bed rest may be necessary.
After removal of the wen, the tumor tissue is recommended to be sent for histological examination to definitively exclude the presence of malignant cells.
What kind of doctor is needed to remove atheroma correctly?
This should not be a dermatologist (cosmetologist).
Why? Simply because a large atheroma is a subcutaneous formation. And everything that is under the skin is beyond their competence.
Why is a surgeon needed?
Because the atheroma needs to be removed, and completely removed, 100%. Only surgery is a guarantee against relapse.
Why do you need a plastic surgeon?
Because after removing the atheroma using the classical technique, an unsightly recess and scar remains under the skin.
At Platinental, plastic elements are used in the process of removing atheroma. The subcutaneous tissue is moved so that the area where the atheroma was previously located is 100% aligned with the healthy surface of the skin.
How to behave after laser lipoma removal
The question of how to behave after laser removal of a wen worries many patients. Let us hasten to reassure them - getting rid of lipoma with a laser is considered the most gentle method. No complex additional manipulations are required after the procedure. In most cases, the patient returns home immediately after removal of the wen.
If there is pain or discomfort at the extraction site, your doctor may prescribe pain medications. During the first few days after surgery, a slight increase in temperature is possible, which does not require taking any additional medications.
Localization of wen
Where do children usually develop wen? They can also occur on internal organs, but this is rare. Tumors grow under the skin, in muscle tissue, and in places above the bone tissue. Although lipoma is called a wen, it itself, as a rule, is located where there is almost no fat. Most often, a child has only one wen. However, if more than one of them is detected, then a diagnosis of lipomatosis is made.
Most often, formations are localized on:
- head and neck;
- face and back;
- shoulders and legs.
Contraindications for laser fat removal
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There are relatively few contraindications for laser lipoma removal. First of all, such manipulations are not performed on people who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Laser removal is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women. It is also worth rescheduling the procedure if the patient has recently suffered from a cold or infectious disease.
Complications and consequences of the procedure
As a rule, laser removal of wen does not cause complications. Only in very rare cases, at the site of removal of large formations, a cavity may appear in which blood and serous fluid accumulate. To solve this problem, drainage is used.
To avoid negative consequences, the wound should not be wetted for a week. For a month you should avoid visiting the sauna and swimming pool, as well as sunbathing.
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Is it necessary to remove atheroma if it is harmless?
- All atheromas are continuously growing
. And in some cases - extremely quickly. If the atheroma is not removed on time (that is, as early as possible), it becomes larger and larger, sometimes reaching gigantic proportions! Medicine knows of atheromas the size of a child’s head.
- As the atheroma grows, it becomes visible to the naked eye. And if atheroma on the body can be hidden for a long time under clothing, ugly bumps on the face and head arouse the morbid curiosity of others.
- The contents of atheroma often leak out, ruin clothes and have an extremely unpleasant odor that cannot be masked.
- Atheroma is a chronic inflammatory lesion that has negative health consequences. Do you often get colds, get tired, want to sleep, and find it difficult to stand 8 hours at work? All these symptoms are her work.
- The larger the atheroma reaches, the wider the incision is required to remove it. The more difficult it is to hide the scar and skin sagging.
- The contents of atheroma are sebum. This is a delicious delicacy for bacteria. Accumulating sebum, atheroma grows and gradually turns into a time bomb. Infection in the atheroma guarantees the development of purulent inflammation
.
Removing pus from the atheroma will require a large incision, which will leave behind a scar. But greater operational access to atheroma is not the only consequence of suppuration. Such an area rarely heals beautifully, and a painful keloid scar often forms in place of the inflamed atheroma.
The Platinental Clinic offers all the most modern methods for removing atheromas:
- without pain,
- without seams,
- replenishment of tissue volume after removal of atheroma,
- numerous techniques for forming invisible scars.
You can make an appointment with a surgeon online or by phone.
