Monday, 6 August 2012
Abdominal Lipoma
An abdominal lipoma is caused by one of two reasons. The first cause is a genetic transformation and the second is a condition called lipomatosis. An abdominal lipoma can arise both in the subcutaneous layer just beneath the skin, as well as within the muscle wall, which can be particularly uncomfortable, possibly requiring surgery. The lipoma is benign, and usually reaches 1 to 2 centimetres across.
The genetic mutation that causes abdominal lipoma is peculiar to each individual sufferer. The mutation in a single cell causes it to continuously duplicate rather than die, and in the case of lipoma, these cells are invariably fat cells, which then amalgamate into a single tumour.
Lipomatosis, the second cause of abdominal lipoma, is a hereditary condition that leads to the development of multiple lipomas throughout the body. If these lipoma lumps arise in the subcutaneous layer, then the patient may very well have to deal with aesthetic issues, as they may be highly visible bumps.
A physical examination and x-rays will be needed to diagnose abdominal lipoma. An x-ray may in fact give visual identification of more than one lipoma, but if the patient does not notice any discomfort, then treatment may not be necessary, other than regular checks for further growth.
In some instances, the lipoma may be large or located between abdominal muscles, and may possibly mean surgical lipoma removal to avoid any pain. Several surgical procedures can be employed. A straightforward incision and lipoma removal in one piece is one method. Another choice may be endoscopic removal if the lipoma is small enough, using a tiny camera and minor incisions to effect removal. Finally, liposuction may be used, which involves the break up of the lipoma before sucking the pieces from the body via a tube.
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Lipoma Removal Risks
In the vast majority of cases, lipoma removal is an extremely safe, straightforward surgical procedure. As is the case with any minor operation, the main risks linked to this form of treatment are a small chance of infection, a risk of scarring or other aesthetic issues. The chance of complications raises slightly when the location of the lipoma is in a less accessible area, making surgery more difficult.
Lipomas are common, benign and consist of harmless fatty cells. They can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, and luckily lipoma removal is a simple process. The procedure entails cleaning the area around the lipoma, followed by the application of a local anaesthetic. A surgical incision is made and the lipoma lump is removed, and providing that the adjacent tissues are not involved, the procedure is relatively simple.
At the point of incision, some people may develop an infection that may require antibiotic treatment, and a very small number of patients may experience an adverse reaction to the anaesthetic, but these reactions are extremely rare. Pain may also occur around the wound, with a certain amount of itching felt as the area heals.
Self esteem and aesthetic concerns may also arise following lipoma removal, especially if the area of incision is highly visible. Scarring can be minimized with careful preparation and care, but some scarring is bound to form.
Two alternative procedures that are commonly used for lipoma removal are steroid treatment and liposuction, but the downside of both these treatments is that they frequently do not succeed in totally removing the lipoma, leading to regrowth following the procedure.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Lipoma And Weight Loss
There is something illogical about lipomas. As you
probably know, lipomas consist of fat but they do not disappear when reducing
body fat levels, failing to respond to weight loss regimes.
However, it is possible that lipomas may increase in size
if weight is gained, making many health professionals believe that the fat that
is lost during dieting is controlled differently to the fat contained within
lipomas. What is more, there is an aesthetic problem with many sufferers, in
that they believe that the more weight that is lost, the higher the visibility of the lipoma lumps.
Being a mass of fat, one treatment option is liposuction.
This involves breaking up the fat mass and then sucking it out of the body. The
main advantages of liposuction are a speedier recovery period, smaller scars
and the capability of removing multiple lipomas via one incision. Total removal
using this method is not guaranteed, and there is a possibility of the lipoma lumps growing
back.
Other treatments include steroid injections and surgical removal,
but the preferred option is to leave the lipoma lumps alone, especially if no
problems arise, or even better, to prevent growth in the first place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)