How is a lipoma treated?
Disease description:
A friend mentioned they have a lipoma and wants to know how lipomas are treated.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Wenmin
Lipoma is a common benign tumor, and common treatment methods are as follows:
1. Observation and conservative treatment: For lipomas smaller than 5 cm in diameter, asymptomatic, and with slow growth, observation and conservative management are usually recommended, such as maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and high-fat food intake.
2. Medication: If the lipoma causes pain or infection, doctors may recommend treatment with medications such as Xiaojin Pills or Guizhi Fuling Pills. However, medication can usually only relieve symptoms and cannot cure lipomas.
3. Surgical treatment: Lipomas that are large in size, affect appearance, compress surrounding tissues, or grow rapidly should be surgically removed as directed by a physician. Surgery is usually a minor procedure performed under local anesthesia, with low risk, quick recovery, and rare recurrence after surgery. However, surgery may leave scars and bruising, requiring some time for recovery.
Prior to treatment, a biopsy or other imaging examinations should be conducted to rule out the possibility of malignant tumors.
