Excision of Lipoma: You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Leaflet Details
| Title | Excision of Lipoma |
| Department | Day Surgery Unit |
| Author(s) | Claire Ellson-Credo, RN |
| Review Date | January 2022 |
| Next Review | January 2025 |
| Download | A5 Booklet PDF |
| Accessibility Options | Click on the Recite Me button to show our accessibility resources |
Patient Information
After your surgery
- You will be going home on the day of your surgery after you are able to eat and drink and have passed urine. You would stay in the hospital for a minimum of one hour for observations. You will need a responsible adult to pick you up from the hospital and stay with you overnight.
Dressings
- You have a waterproof dressing over your wound. This needs to be kept clean and dry for 5-7 days and can be removed after this time or until the stitches are removed. You can have a shower but not a bath for at least 2 weeks. Please change the dressings with spare ones provided if they get dirty or wet. When changing the dressing, you need to peel the dressings off and apply the new ones without touching the wound. Wash your hands before and after.
- If there is no visible dressing, you need to keep the wound clean and dry for at least 24 hours before having a shower.
- You may have a pressure dressing over your skin dressing. This is usually not waterproof and can be removed after 24 hours.
Stitches / Sutures
You may have stitches to close the wound.
- Dissolvable stitches take a few weeks/months to dissolve.
- Non-dissolvable stiches need to be removed between 7-10 or 10-14 days’ time. You need to make an appointment with your practice nurse in your GP surgery for removal.
Wound care
- You will experience bruising and swelling around the area. This should settle down after one to two weeks.
- If you notice any bleeding through the dressings, please apply firm pressure over it for about 15-20 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, please go to your nearest A and E department.
Pain
- It is common to have pain on the wound area. Please take regular pain relief until this wears off.
Activities
- You need to take it easy for a few days. You are advised to take short walks the day after surgery, slowly building up to your normal activities.
- You can return to work as soon as you feel able to do so unless instructed by your surgeons.
- Do not drive for at least 24 hours and until you feel you are able to so. It is advisable to check with your insurance company as they may have different policies.
Blood clot prevention
- It is important that you resume normal activities as advised and keep active. You must wear the anti-embolic stockings given to you for 7 days, both during the day and at night. They can be removed while you have a shower and applied again afterwards.
- Depending on your medical risk factors, you may be prescribed blood-thinning injections to take after your operation. These help prevent blood clots such as in the leg (deep vein thrombosis) or the lung (pulmonary embolus).
Follow up appointment
- You usually do not need a follow up appointment from the hospital. If your surgeon wants you to have an outpatient appointment, the details will be posted to you by your surgeon’s secretary.
- You will be informed if a biopsy (tissue sample) has been taken and sent for testing. If this is the case, your surgeon will either write to you with the results or discuss it with you during your outpatient appointment.
What to watch out for:
Please contact your GP if:
- The wound looks inflamed, hot to touch, has an offensive discharge and you have a temperature as these are signs of infection
Please attend Accident and Emergency department if:
- There is significant swelling around the wound and the skin looks very dark and feels hard to touch
- The pain becomes severe and unmanageable
- The bleeding from the wound becomes excessive and uncontrolled
Useful contact numbers:
- Day Surgery Unit Ashford hospital 01784 884609 or 01784 884189 between 8am-9pm Monday to Friday
- Eliot ward 01784 884005 or 01784 884575 after 9pm, all day weekends and bank holidays
- ASPH Main Switchboard 01932 872000 and ask to be connected to your surgeon’s secretary for appointment queries
If you feel unwell and needed urgent medical care, please go to your nearest Accident and Emergency Department immediately and bring your discharge letter with you.
