Lipoma & Cyst Removal
Vancouver, BC
Benign skin growths and subcutaneous lumps, such as lipomas and sebaceous cysts, are incredibly common. While they are typically non-cancerous, these masses can grow progressively larger over time, leading to physical discomfort, chronic irritation against clothing, and a loss of smooth body symmetry. Attempts to squeeze, pop, or drain these growths at home often cause severe infection, painful inflammation, and significant permanent scarring.
Dr. Jennifer Prince in Surrey, BC, approaches lipoma and cyst removals with the high-level meticulous precision of advanced reconstructive surgery. Dr. Prince uses delicate tissue-handling techniques to cleanly excise the entire growth, including the critical outer cyst capsule, ensuring the lump cannot return. By prioritizing minimal tension and strategic incision placement, Dr. Prince restores a smooth, balanced contour to your skin while leaving the most discreet scar possible.
Outpatient minor surgical procedure
Immediate return to light daily activities; 1 to 2 weeks for structural tissue healing
Instant physical removal of the lump, with swelling subsiding over a few weeks
30 to 60 minutes per growth, depending on mass size and complexity
Lipoma and cyst removal encompasses a group of minor, highly effective outpatient surgical procedures designed to physically excise benign subcutaneous masses from the body. Patients frequently request these treatments when a growth becomes visibly prominent, tender to the touch, or restrictive to normal physical movement.
A lipoma is a slow-growing, soft, and doughy mass of localized fat cells resting between your skin and the underlying muscle layer that moves easily with light finger pressure. A skin cyst (such as an epidermoid or sebaceous cyst) is a firmer, fluid-filled, or keratin-packed sac located directly beneath the epidermal layer, often featuring a small central opening or punctum. A definitive surgical excision physically extracts the entire fat mass or cyst capsule, resolving the physical obstruction permanently.
On the day of your minor procedure, the treatment area is thoroughly cleansed with a surgical antiseptic solution. Dr. Prince then administers a local anesthetic to completely numb the skin and underlying tissues surrounding the growth. This ensures you remain entirely comfortable and experience absolutely zero pain throughout the brief process.
Once the area is completely numb, Dr. Prince creates a precise, minimal incision directly over or adjacent to the mass, aligning the line perfectly with your skin's natural tension lines. For a lipoma, she gently dissects the fatty mass away from the surrounding structural tissues and extracts it. For a cyst, she utilizes meticulous technique to excise the fluid sac completely intact; removing the capsule wall entirely is the only clinical way to guarantee the cyst will never recur. Finally, the internal spaces are closed with dissolving sutures, and the skin is repaired using advanced multi-layered plastic surgery techniques to facilitate an exceptionally thin, flat scar line.
Because lipomas and cysts can develop anywhere hair follicles or fat cells are present, this flexible procedure can address growths located in almost any area of the body. Dr. Prince routinely extracts masses from the face, scalp, neck, shoulders, back, chest wall, abdomen, and extremities, adjusting her surgical entry points to respect the specific cosmetic nuances of each anatomical location.
A customized minor surgical intervention provides definitive, clean clearance for a variety of benign tissue masses and skin irregularities:
Subcutaneous Lipomas
Extracts single or multiple slow-growing, soft fatty lumps from the arms, legs, back, shoulders, or forehead.
Epidermoid and Sebaceous Cysts
Remodels firm, fluid-filled sacs that frequently become inflamed, tender, or cosmetically distracting.
Recurrent Skin Infections
Eliminates chronically ruptured or poorly drained cysts that consistently refill and cause localized skin damage.
Mass-Induced Discomfort:
Alleviates structural pressure on localized nerve networks or muscles caused by deeply situated benign masses.
Asymmetric Contour Inconsistencies
Restores a smooth, continuous surface plane to areas of the face or body distorted by protruding lumps.
Choosing a specialized plastic surgery approach for your lump removal delivers immediate physical relief, clinical peace of mind, and a smooth cosmetic baseline:
If you possess a bothersome, expanding, or physically uncomfortable lump beneath your skin that has been evaluated as benign, you are an excellent candidate for surgical excision. Ideal candidates are non-smoking individuals who understand that definitive removal requires a small, well-hidden incision and are looking for a sterile, expert environment to protect their skin's long-term appearance.
During your private clinical evaluation, Dr. Prince will carefully palpate the mass, assess its mobility, check the condition of the overlying skin, and review your medical history. If a growth is exceptionally deep, massive, or resting flush against a major internal motor nerve pathway, she will guide you through any advanced imaging steps, such as an ultrasound or MRI, needed to execute your procedure with uncompromised safety.
Because lipoma and cyst removals are performed as streamlined outpatient procedures using local anesthesia, the recovery timeline is remarkably light and efficient.
You will be fully able to drive yourself home immediately after your appointment at our Surrey clinic. The treatment area will be secured with a small layer of surgical tape or a light protective dressing.
Most patients experience only mild, localized soreness or a minor tightness for the first 24 to 48 hours, which is easily managed with regular over-the-counter pain relievers. You can comfortably return to stationary desk work, remote business, and light walking the very same day. You will need to keep the incision line clean and dry for the first 48 hours.
While daily movement is encouraged, you must protect the healing tissue margins by avoiding heavy gym lifting, intense stretching, or submerging the area in pools or hot tubs for approximately 2 weeks, depending on the location of the growth.
You will see and feel a visible transformation in your tissue contours the very moment the growth is extracted. While minor, temporary swelling and localized bruising around the incision site are completely normal, these signs will gradually resolve over the first 7 to 14 days. Your skin surface will continue to smooth out, with the final, fully refined contours settling beautifully as internal tissue remodeling completes over 12 months.
The structural results of a meticulous surgical excision are permanent. Once a lipoma is fully extracted or a cyst wall sac is cleanly cut away, that specific growth cannot return or refill. While your body can occasionally develop entirely new, separate lipomas or cysts in alternative anatomical locations due to your natural genetic tendencies, the treated area will maintain a smooth, lump-free baseline for life.
Excising dense cysts without rupturing the fragile capsule wall or lifting deeply situated lipomas out from delicate muscle fibers requires exceptional technical skill. Dr. Prince brings decades of masterful clinical judgment and advanced surgical precision to her private practice in Surrey.
Her extensive, foundational background in complex microsurgery and reconstructive plastic surgery allows her to operate around delicate superficial nerve pathways and skin structures with master-level accuracy—guaranteeing complete mass clearance while maximizing your aesthetic outcome.
As a female plastic surgeon, Dr. Prince provides a highly compassionate, welcoming, and completely non-judgmental medical environment where your physical comfort and cosmetic concerns are treated with the utmost dignity. She completely rejects casual, rushed approaches to minor surgery, treating every single cyst and lipoma excision as a premier opportunity to protect your skin's health and symmetry.
Dr. Prince and her dedicated clinical team ensure you feel completely safe, perfectly informed, and thoroughly supported throughout your rapid transformation.
Yes, almost always. Draining or popping a skin cyst at home only releases the trapped keratin fluid inside, leaving the actual lining of the sac—the cyst capsule—fully intact beneath your skin. This remaining capsule wall continues to actively secrete fluids, causing the cyst to refill and expand again, often accompanied by severe internal infection or thickened scar tissue. A formal surgical excision by a plastic surgeon is required to physically remove the entire sac wall and cure the growth permanently.
Dr. Prince uses specialized plastic surgery closure techniques, including fine-gauge internal dissolving sutures, to minimize surface tension on your skin. While any surgical incision leaves a permanent mark, she positions the lines within natural skin creases or shadows whenever possible. Over the course of a year, the initial pink line will fade to a faint, flat, and thin marking that easily blends into your surrounding skin texture.
Yes, absolutely. If you have several bothersome lumps located across different areas of your body, Dr. Prince can comfortably numb and excise multiple masses during a single, streamlined appointment. This allows you to consolidate your healing period and clear away multiple physical irritations at once.
If a lipoma or cyst is causing documented physical pain, restricting your functional mobility, or exhibiting rapid growth that requires diagnostic testing, the surgical removal may be eligible for coverage under the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP). You need a referral from your family physician to be considered. If you are seeking removal purely for cosmetic reasons, it is considered an elective procedure. Our team will verify your clinical parameters during your consultation.
While both present as lumps beneath the skin, they possess completely different textures and characteristics. A lipoma sits deeper, feels soft, doughy, or rubbery, and slides around easily under your skin when pressed. A skin cyst sits closer to the surface, feels significantly firmer, and often displays a small darkened center point (punctum) where oil or keratin has collected near the pore opening. Dr. Prince will diagnose your growth during your exam.
