Is it true that you can't remove lipomas in DD?

[alecc]

I saw the docu about the army soldier who got DD.
In this docu they said that when you have DD and try to remove lipomas
they all come back, is this always the case?

[matt]

I believe you mean the document in this thread.

In most multiple lipomatosis lipomas will continue to multiply no matter how many of them you remove.

This isn't to say you shouldn't remove any lipomas that cause pain or discomfort.

In the document the soldier had a very bad case of Dercum's and it was a rather weird case of Dercum's since there were so many distinct nodular lipomas.

Often times in Dercum's there are not so many distinct firm lipomas but just diffuse painful and inflammated fat. The fat is not usually encapsulated as in Familial Multiple Lipomatosis (FML).

Also the growth rate of lipomas was very fast for the soldier.

It's an interesting case to say the least.

I hope to get an opportunity in some point to ask Dr. Karen Herbst how is this patient doing today.

[MarkX3]

Especially in DD, I would reconsider all surgeries. Speaking from experience and the little research that actually exists, it appears that surgical removal may make things worse.

I do not believe you can remove lipoma with 100% efficiency. If you could remove 100%, the growth rate of new ones would SLOW down after a surgery. That is NOT the case.

After 5 general surgeries and many under local, I must say that removal should be a last result.

Similar to cancer removal, unless you can remove 100% of the cancer, it will spread, so what doctors do?, Chemo and other drugs are given to kill whatever is not surgically removed, and that seems to work ok,.

With lipomas we have nothing to kill off the remainder of a lipoma after surgical removal, hence you grow more lipomas....

[beck]

I have had 6 lipomas removed. 1 from each outter thigh and 4 from my lower back. my left thigh and 2 from my back have slowly grown back after a yr. This may not be the case with everyone. I also have 1 in my left cheek I would like removed but am not a fan of the scarring left behind. I am on disability with this and a few other diseases, inc Morphea an extremely rare form of Scleraderma. I think it is a personal decision and please be sure you trust your doctor performing the surgery. Best of Luck.

[The100LumpGuy]

If the surgeon (dermatologist) doesn't remove every bit of the lipoma or angio-lipoma, in my personal experience, they will grow back. Not as big, but in smaller clusters.

I had a really large one removed on my upper chest about 6 months ago and I only got one pin-sized growth in one corner of the original location. A fair trade.

- Jake (the guy from mystery diagnosis)