Posts Tagged lipoma
Lipomas – Insurance Coverage Issues
Posted by admin in Dr D's Truth on March 26, 2013
Here are three lipomas I removed from a woman’s arm. Interestingly, the medical coding system has changed recently to cover removal of tumors like this as long as they are 3 cm or over. Her health insurance actually paid for the surgery. Then again they just assigned the majority of the cost to her deductible. When we tried to pre-approve the procedure, we were told that no approval was required. It is only when you bill the case that you find the real truth unfortunately.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Originally posted 2011-03-22 07:30:07.
A Lipoma Can Get Really Large- Picture Alert
Posted by admin in Lumps, Picture Warning on December 26, 2011
A lipoma is not something to be left alone. This Navy career man was told for 17 years by his doctor that this growing mass did not require removal. “It was just a lipoma.” This thing slowly grew to the point at which when he retired this large lump was visible even in clothing.
The bottom line here is that even if a soft fleshy lump is not cancer, it can grow and produce a problem if ignored for long enough.
My baseline recommendation is that people get these things removed early. On Page 2 is an image of the tumor once it was removed.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Related:
Originally posted 2009-11-10 07:30:14.
Reader Question – Lipoma on My Labia?
Posted by admin in Lumps, Reader Question on October 20, 2011
Inquiry: Hello,
I am looking for your expert opinion on my situation. I have a massive Lipoma located in my left Labia majora. It measures 3cm x 7cm long. It is extremely mobile within the entire Labia majora. I have seen 2 gynecologists and 2 plastic surgeons for opinions and all have differing opinions on how to proceed.
1 Gyne – No way/Not paid by insurance/not touching it.
1 Gyne – Wow, needs to be done in hospital/covered by insurance/high risk of bleeding
1 PS – Wow, needs to be done by a gyne
1 Ps – Booked my for surgeryMy concerns are risks of bleeding out and scarring/loss of sensation.
My choices are to go with a Gyne who will try and place the scar within the labia minor in a hospital setting
OR
A plastic surgeon, specializing in the vaginal area, who will place the scar in the natural crease which runs down the labia majora.
Questions – who do YOU think is better qualified to do this? Due to scarring/nerve damage is the scar lower/more inside/further away from clitoris better or worse?
- Dawn (I am in Canada)
On qualifications, it depends upon if you care what it looks (and maybe feels) like afterward. If you don’t care then go to the non-plastic surgeon. On the lipoma in general, take into account that until it is removed you are not certain it is a lipoma. From what you describe, it sounds like the incision can be easily placed away from your sensitive parts.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Originally posted 2010-05-11 07:30:15.
Reader Question: Liposuction for Lipoma?
Posted by admin in liposuction on May 31, 2011
Reader Question:
Can I have liposuction to remove my lipoma to make the scar smaller?
Lipomas are written about frequently on the web. They are fatty tumors that are non cancerous but do slowly grow larger. Not every soft lump you can feel through your skin is a lipoma however. You don’t really know something is a lipoma for certain until you remove it and preferably send it for pathology. The “lipoma” you are feeling could be something else.
Liposuction works by breaking up fat into small pieces and removing most of it by suction. The question is using it on a tumor that has the possibility of growing back is: “Why would you want to break it up into pieces?” This could result in many of them growing back later. It could make a nice mess in a few years even if that lump is just a lipoma.
The bottom line is that I prefer not to use liposuction for soft fleshy tumors that might be lipomae. I don’t like taking the chance. I have a few more posts on these frequently ignored tumors.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Related:
Originally posted 2009-11-09 07:30:29.
Reader Question: Should I Have My Lipoma Removed?
Reader Question:
I went to my doctor and was told I have a Lipoma? What is a Lipoma? Should I have it removed?
A lipoma is a noncancerous fatty tumor usually found in the fatty layer under the skin. They grow slowly and are usually no more than a nuisance; that is unless they have been growing for a while. They usually appear as a kinda soft lump under the skin.
As they grow, the displace and occupy the space of tissues around them (usually fat.) They can become quite large over the course of years. There is the other potential problem; namely that you can’t be 100% sure that your “lump” is a just a lipoma until you remove it and send it to the pathologist. Some lumps are cancerous.
The bottom line is that I usually recommend removal.
Try to have it removed while it is small so there is less of a “dent” and the surgery is usually pretty low key. Often small ones can be done in the office under local anesthesia. And consider sending the removed lump for pathology just so you know what it was.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
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