This is one of the most common benign skin lumps. A lipoma is a tumour formed by fat cells. Most cases of lipoma are found just beneath the skin, and these are mostly benign. However, a large lipoma that is found deep in the body may be cancerous in nature, or has the potential to turn into a cancer.
The most common symptom is a lump underneath the skin, noticed by the patient, or sometimes by the patient’s family, particularly if the lipoma is situated over the back. It is mostly painless, but occasionally may be painful especially in cases where there is a family history. The person may also notice a slow increase in size of the lump.
In some cases, especially when there is a family history of lipoma, the person may notice more than one lump in his body. The common sites for lipoma are the trunk and the limbs.
Small subcutaneous (this refers to the fat layer beneath the skin) lipoma is mostly benign. However surgery may be desired if it causes pain. Surgery is also advised if it affects function. An example will be a lipoma of the arms, and the lump disturbs the patient when he writes.
If the lump becomes progressively bigger, surgery may also be advised. Some patients desire to have the lump removed simply because it is unsightly, causing an obvious bulge.
If there is some uncertainty about the nature of a lump, do consult your doctor before deciding that leaving it alone is a safe option. Do not assume that all skin lumps are harmless.
Surgical removal is the definitive treatment. If the lipoma is small, removal can be performed as a simple day-surgery procedure under local anaesthesia. Sometimes, some patients may come to us with a huge lipoma, which can be more than 20cm in diameter. For such large lumps, it is sometimes more comfortable for the patient to have the lump removed under general anaesthesia.
Surgical removal is the definitive treatment. If the lipoma is small, removal can be performed as a simple day-surgery procedure under local anaesthesia. Sometimes, some patients may come to us with a huge lipoma, which can be more than 20cm in diameter. For such large lumps, it is sometimes more comfortable for the patient to have the lump removed under general anaesthesia.
There is no specific cause for this tumour to form. Some cases may run in the family where affected individuals often have multiple lipomata (plural form of lipoma) found beneath the skin over the trunk and limbs.
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Our clinics will be closed from 16 – 18 Feb for CNY
Our clinic at Mt Alvernia Medical Centre A will be relocating from #06-05 to #03-03 (within the same building) on Friday, 26 Sep afternoon.
Our telephone line 6353 4855 will be temporarily unavailable from 12:00pm – 6:00pm on 26 September. During this period, you may reach out to our other clinics for assistance:
We will begin operations at our new premises (#03-03) from Tuesday, 30 Sep onwards.
We look forward to serving you at our new clinic!
Nexus Surgical clinics at Mt Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, Gleneagles Medical Centre, Parkway East Medical Centre and Mt Alvernia Medical Centre will be closed on 28 January 2025 for Lunar New Year celebrations, while our clinic at Mt Elizabeth Orchard Medical Centre remains open from 0900-1300 hours on 28 January 2025.
Please leave a message in our voice mails and we will respond to you as soon as we can when we resume our clinics on 31 January 2025. If you require any urgent assistance, kindly go to the Urgent Care Centre of any hospitals or contact your doctor through the Emergency Answering Service. Our team at Nexus Surgical would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year with good health in the Year of the Snake!
Nexus Surgical will be away from 17 to 20 October 2024 for our Annual Company Retreat. The aim of our retreat is to review and to recharge, so that we may serve you better.
Our clinics at Mount Elizabeth Orchard, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Mount Alvernia and Parkway East hospitals will therefore be closed during this period. In the meantime, if you require any urgent assistance, kindly contact us through our Answering Service at +65 6333 5550.
We thank you for your understanding and patience for any inconvenience.
