Lipoma Removal Surgery at Thames Valley Surgical Services
Lipoma Removal Surgery is in many cases straightforward because Lipomas are fatty lumps that are often just sitting under the skin. Some Lipomas can prove more challenging because they large or located deeper. In the pictures below we show you a number of Lipomas Dr Kittel has successfully removed. Dr Kittel has removed in excess of 15,000 Lipomas over the last 25 years.
What Is A Lipoma?
A Lipoma is a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin. It is harmless and can usually be left alone.
Lipomas can occur on any area of skin where there are fat cells. They are usually seen on the shoulders, neck, chest, arms and back. Their range can be from the size of a pea to sometimes very large sizes and they usually grow slowly. The largest Lipoma Dr Kittel has ever seen was the size of a child’s head.
About one in 100 people develop a Lipoma, so they are fairly common. Patients often have one or 2, sometimes many more. Few patients have a larger number, because they may have an inherited condition called familial Lipomatosis.
How Can I Self Diagnose A Lipoma?
You can usually tell if a bump is a Lipoma by pressing it. It usually feels smooth and soft, like rubber or dough, and may move about under the skin. If its larger or in an unusual position, though, it may be worthwhile to have a scan, because it gives you re-assurance and it is also easier to remove it.I am not sure about my lump
If you are unsure what it is or want a review, please book a review appointment. We can usually confirm the nature of a lump just by examining it
Dangers of a wrong diagnosis
The answer to the question whether or not a Lipoma can be dangerous is, YES, but rarely. There is a rare cancer called Liposarcoma with about a chance of 1-2 per million per year in the UK. They are twice as common in men than in women. If you have a single Lipoma that has been fast growing recently then you should be referred to a specialist centre, i.e. in Oxford. Most patients I see had their Lipoma(s) for years or they have not grown and they are fine. But I am always aware of unusual cases. For example, I saw an older lady with a confirmed Lipoma by a GP and a Dermatologist and an MRI scan confirming it. I did not trust the story of recent growth on the forehead in an older lady and warned them and her nephew, who is a GP. But they really wanted me to go ahead and I did as a favour. I was proven right when it turned out to be a rare tumour. At least the removal diagnosed the problem, the lady had further specialist surgery and is alive and well.
Why getting Lipoma Removal Surgery?
There are a number of reasons to have Surgery, for example if your lump is large or in an obvious place and is affecting your self-esteem. We may also need to remove it if you have discomfort. For example, it may be pressing on a nerve and causing pain. They can be in difficult and private areas, or, like in the picture above (a young ladies back) they can get very large.
Weight Lifters Lipoma in neck (Barbell Lifting)
More recently we have seen a larger number of weight lifters attending for appointments with Lipomas. These usually occur in weight lifters who frequently lift Barbells and are likely due to microtrauma to the area. The body basically produces its own “upholstery”. They can be challenging to remove as they are not typical Lipomas and do not easily mobilise, but are heavily organised within the surrounding tissues. They are more likely to leave a slightly uneven appearance, return again and hurt after removal. Also, the scar is weakened tissue and could break open. And further Barbell lifting may start the process again, make it look worse due to the scar tissue involved and if weights are too heavy the scar could split if one lifts too early after surgery. After all, the fat pad is a natural reaction by the body, so should we remove it at all? If removed, perhaps avoid Barbells in the future? Finally, do not mistake a so called Buffalo hump for a weight lifters Lipoma. They can be caused by an underlying disorder called “Cushings syndrome”.
Cost of Lipoma Removal Surgery: £250* (arms)
Arm Lipomas are most common. The cost of surgery for the removal of a Lipoma starts at £250. Every further small Lipoma (<3cm) on the arms removed during the same session is typically only an affordable £100. Please be aware laboratory cost are not included, but they are not usually necessary in patients with multiple Lipomas or small Lipomas (see below for more detail). The price for a professional consultation with our lead surgeon Dr Kittel is kept low at £60. Click here for more detailed pricing.
Free consultation
The consultation is free for returning customers. Please check the price guide for more information about T&Cs.
Whose Lipomas should we send off to the laboratory (extra charge)?
If there are multiple Lipomas and they are small they are probably safe to discard. If there is a single Lipoma and it is large (>5cm) then it should probably be sent for analysis. Other factors play a role, but the beforesaid is a good rule of thumb. We will tell you at the consultation the safest way to proceed. Please be aware we do not make a profit on the charging of laboratory costs, but just pass down our own cost, so it does not become unaffordable for patients. As this is work for us we do not “sell” laboratory investigations, but only recommend them when required.
Lipomas on back, front and shoulders particularly larger ones can be more expensive as they can be considerably more difficult to remove. Those and Lipomas of the forehead are typically £500-£900. For Lipomas on all other body regions: Click here for more detailed pricing
| Lipoma arm <3cm | Cost | Total |
| 1st Removal | £250* | £250 |
| 2nd Removal | £100 | £350 |
| 3rd Removal | £100 | £450 |
| continue with £100 for every further Removal *Consultation discount of £60 already applied, for a better explanation click here | ||
Surgery at Thames Valley Surgical Services
If you wish to have your lump surgically removed, please contact us on 07973 66 33 55. We will freeze your skin using local anaesthetic prior to skin surgery. Afterwards, we remove your Lipoma(s) with as small an incision as possible. However, large Lipomas often require patient surgery, which can last up to 75 minutes. Small lumps on arms and legs are usually quickly removed. There is usually no more than a fine scar.
Make an appointment
To make an appointment you can contact us or book a clinic appointment online. Alternatively you can ask for a telephone appointment. If you do so, please read the section “How TVVS works”, thoroughly. In case you are worried about pain, please click here to see how we provide painfree surgery.
More Information: For a glossary on minor surgery terms, click here
For more infomation about Lipomas look at patient.info
Accessibility Information: Locations Appropriate for Referral or Treatment:
We provide Minor Surgery / Skin Surgery for Lipomas, Cysts, Warts, Moles, Skin Tags, Xanthelasmas and Split Earlobes in Maidenhead, Berkshire, which is near Windsor and Ascot and Heathrow Airport and close to London, South Buckinghamshire, South Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Surrey. TVSS are adjacent to Henley-On-Thames, Marlow, and Twyford. Also, we are close to Slough, Bracknell, Basingstoke, Egham and Gerrards Cross. Chalfont St Peter, Northolt, Harrow and Wembley. Rickmansworth, Richmond, Twickenham, Staines and Virginia Water. Sunningdale and Sunninghill, Ruislip, Reading, Wokingham and West Drayton. Uxbridge, Farnborough, Woking, Guildford. Oxford, Banbury, Milton Keynes and Coventry. Essex, Sussex, Kent, Swindon, Portsmouth and Bristol, Bath, Brighton, Eastborne and Southhampton are all no more than an 45 minutes to 2 hours away. Via the M4 we are also accessible to certain locations in South Wales
Meet Dr Kittel in person - watch his video about Lipoma Surgery
Showcasing our work – example of the result of the removal of a very large Lipoma from the left lower back of a young lady after 8 weeks.
This is a young lady. Dr Kittel removed a very large Lipoma from her left lower back. He mobilised it though a very small incision. The resulting fine line scar at 8 weeks is pink, which will subsequently turn white.
Showcasing our work – example of the result of the removal of a large Lipoma at the back of the head of a young gentleman before and right after surgery.
This is a large Lipoma on the bottom of the head / upper neck of a young gentleman. You see the Lipoma is quite large. On the second picture you can see the full appearance right after surgery (note a bit of blood and iodine, sorry). And the third picture shows a faint outline of the previous Lipoma as it was marked by me and the scar being about 60-70% of the Lipoma size only.
Recent work – update in 3 months
If the patient is happy to upload further pictures we will show you the healing after 3 months or so and what the scar looks like. This should be well healed by then and hopefully he will have a great outcome.
Showcasing our work – A large Lipoma on the upper arm, the sutures right after surgery and the scar 1 year afterwards
See the large Lipoma on this gentlemans left upper arm. The yellow colour right after surgery is from Povidone Iodine, which is used as a disinfectant, which is very safe. Interesting is the fact he heals without any scarring at all, which is due to a variety of factors including good scar care, genetic factors and tension free suturing.
Showcasing our work – Example of the removal of a very large hip Lipoma on the right hip – 14cm length – before and 10 weeks after removal
This Brazilian man had a Lipoma on his pelvis which had been growing for 20 years. He could not tighten a belt easily and only wear joggers. He was extremely pleased with the scar, which is already so good after only 8 weeks!
Showcasing our work – Example of the removal of a very large shoulder / neck Lipoma in a Carribean gentleman.
Not the easiest of location for a Lipoma due to the very large surrounding blood vessels, but the Lipoma came out easily and the gentleman was extremely pleased as he had been waiting for over a year on the NHS without being given any date for the surgery.
Showcasing our work – Example of a Lipoma on the back of an Asian Lady
This was a very large Lipoma, the resulting scar after surgery is comparably very short. In the second picture you can see the outline markings from the first picture and very short resulting wound expertly closed with so called mattress sutures, who approximate deeper and superficial levels very well and heal with minimal side effects. The brown on the skin is some remaining iodine used as a disinfectant. I do not have pictures after the healing has occured, but I am sure it has healed very well.
