Lipoma Removal in Vancouver

A lipoma is a usually benign, slow-growing collection of fatty tissue that forms beneath the skin. Lipomas often feel soft or rubbery and may move slightly when pressed. They are commonly found on the back, trunk, shoulders, arms and neck, although they can develop in many areas of the body.

Many lipomas do not need to be removed. Removal may be considered when a lump is enlarging, uncomfortable, visible through clothing, repeatedly irritated, interfering with movement or simply bothersome enough that you would prefer to have it removed.

Before surgery, the more important question is whether the lump behaves like a straightforward lipoma and whether it can be removed safely in an office setting. Larger, deeper, fixed, rapidly growing or otherwise atypical masses may need imaging or another specialist assessment before elective removal.

Lipoma removal also leaves a scar. The goal is not scar-free removal, but a surgical plan that balances safe access to the fatty mass with thoughtful incision placement, closure and scar management.

A lipoma is made of mature fat cells and typically develops just beneath the skin. Many are soft, mobile and slow-growing. The exact cause is not always clear, although some people have a family tendency to develop lipomas.

A lump under the skin should not be assumed to be a lipoma based on a website description alone. Cysts and other soft-tissue masses can feel different, and some features change the need for imaging or further assessment. If you are not sure whether a lump is a lipoma or a cyst, examination is the first step.

A small, stable lipoma that does not hurt or bother you can often be observed. Surgery becomes more reasonable when the lump is growing, causes pressure or tenderness, catches on clothing or equipment, affects movement, creates a noticeable contour or is simply something you would prefer not to have.

The decision should include the scar. A visible lump is exchanged for a permanent incision. For some patients that trade-off is clearly worthwhile. For others, especially when the lipoma is small and asymptomatic, leaving it alone may make more sense.

In Dr. Ho’s practice, a lipoma larger than 5 cm prompts imaging, typically MRI, before elective removal. Imaging may also be appropriate when a mass is deep, fixed, rapidly growing, unusually painful, recurrent or not clinically typical of a superficial lipoma.

Depending on the clinical findings and imaging, Dr. Ho may recommend assessment by an oncologic or other specialist before removal. This is a safety step. It does not mean that every large lipoma is cancerous, but a large or atypical soft-tissue mass deserves a more deliberate diagnostic pathway before routine cosmetic excision.

British Columbia imaging guidance also recognizes ultrasound as a useful initial test for some palpable soft-tissue masses, with CT or MRI considered when findings are suspicious or additional characterization is needed. The appropriate imaging test depends on the individual mass and clinical context.

The final decision depends on the lump history, size, location, depth, mobility, symptoms, previous imaging or surgery, scar history and the expected treatment setting.

For a straightforward superficial lipoma, the procedure generally involves a planned incision over or near the mass, careful separation of the fatty tissue from the surrounding structures, removal of the lipoma, control of bleeding and layered closure.

Office-Based Lipoma Excision Under Local Anaesthetic

Many accessible superficial lipomas can be removed in a private minor surgery procedure room under local anaesthetic. The numbing injection can be briefly uncomfortable. Once the area is numb, you may still notice pressure or movement, but the surgical area should be well anaesthetized during removal.

Buried dissolving sutures are used to close the deeper layers and reduce tension. Dr. Ho may also place internal sutures to decrease the empty space left after the fatty mass is removed, which can help reduce the chance of fluid collecting in that space.

Larger or More Complex Lipomas

The plan changes when a lipoma is large, deep, difficult to reach through a simple skin incision or closely related to important structures. These cases may require imaging, a different facility, general anaesthesia or referral to another specialist depending on the anatomy and diagnosis.

Surgical Excision vs Liposuction for Lipoma Removal

Liposuction can improve the contour of a lipoma through a smaller access scar, but it does not remove the lipoma in the same way as complete surgical excision. Residual fatty tissue can remain, which means recurrence is more likely.

Dr. Ho generally favours surgical excision when the goal is complete removal. The trade-off is a longer linear scar, so incision length and scar placement are part of the decision before surgery.

Complete surgical removal leaves a permanent linear scar. The scar length depends on the lipoma size, depth, location, skin tension and the access required to remove the fatty mass safely.

Early scars may be pink, firm or more noticeable than expected. They generally soften and fade gradually as they mature. Areas such as the back and shoulders can place more tension on an incision, so the treatment area matters as much as the lipoma diameter when discussing the scar.

Scar management is individualized during follow-up. The important promise is not an invisible scar. It is thoughtful incision planning, careful closure and realistic guidance about how the scar is expected to change over time.

There may be tenderness, swelling or bruising after the local anaesthetic wears off. Straightforward superficial removals often allow a relatively quick return to routine non-strenuous activities, but recovery depends on the lipoma size, location, depth and the tension placed on the incision during work or exercise.

Steri-Strips and a dressing are typically placed over the incision and may remain for approximately 1 to 2 weeks. You can usually shower after 24 hours. Buried sutures are designed to dissolve over time.

Fluid can occasionally collect in the space where a lipoma was removed, especially when a larger cavity remains. Dr. Ho uses internal sutures to reduce this dead space when appropriate. Early firmness or swelling is not automatically the final contour, and follow-up is used to assess healing and scar management.

Exercise After Lipoma Removal

High-exertion exercise is generally avoided for approximately 1 to 2 weeks after a straightforward removal. The exact restriction depends on the treatment area, incision tension and procedure extent. A lipoma removed from an area that stretches or moves with exercise may need a slower return than a small lesion in a low-tension location.

Lipoma excision is usually a minor surgical procedure, but risks vary with the mass size, depth, location and the structures around it.

• Possible wound-healing problems include bleeding, infection, bruising, swelling, fluid collection, delayed healing or wound separation.
• Scar-related issues can include persistent redness, widening, raised scarring, contour depression or irregularity.
• Temporary or persistent numbness can occur, and deeper lipomas can carry risk to nearby nerves, vessels or muscle depending on location.
• A lipoma can recur, particularly when tissue remains or when the lesion is difficult to remove completely. New lipomas can also develop elsewhere in people who are prone to them.

The risks that matter most are reviewed in the context of your specific mass and treatment plan.

Lipoma removal typically ranges from CAD $800 to $2,500, depending on the size, depth, location and number of lipomas, as well as the complexity of removal and treatment setting. A personalized quote is provided after consultation, once Dr. Ho has assessed the lump and determined the most appropriate surgical plan.

In British Columbia, MSP covers medically required physician services and does not cover services deemed not medically required, such as cosmetic surgery. Whether a specific lipoma belongs in an insured medical pathway depends on medical necessity and the appropriate referral process. Dr. Ho’s office can explain whether the planned removal is being treated as a private cosmetic procedure or whether additional medical assessment or referral is more appropriate.

Dr. Adelyn Ho, MD, MPH, FRCSC is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon practising in Vancouver, British Columbia. With experience performing more than 300 lipoma removals, Dr. Ho treats lipomas of varying sizes and locations, with careful attention to complete removal and scar placement. Her lipoma-removal planning focuses on first determining whether a mass is appropriate for routine excision, then balancing safe access, complete removal, dead-space management, closure tension and the expected scar.

A consultation is also an opportunity to decide not to operate. If a small lipoma is not bothersome, observation may be reasonable. If the mass is large or atypical, imaging or another specialist pathway may be the safer next step.

If you have a soft-tissue lump that may be a lipoma, consultation can help determine whether it is appropriate for observation, office excision, imaging or another treatment pathway. Dr. Ho will also discuss the expected scar and recovery before you decide whether removal makes sense for you.

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Medically reviewed by Dr. Adelyn Ho, MD, MPH, FRCSC | Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon | Last reviewed: August 2026