Lipoma

[ibelieve]

A question for those who know about lipomeylomeningocele/lipomas. I was born with a large lipoma (and tethered cord) but was not diagnosed until I was about a year old. My first dethethering surgery I was 18 years old. The neurosurgeon told me then he had removed as much of the internal lipoma as he could but that I needed to have liposuction done to remove the external lipoma.

Anybody else with a similar expereince? I'm almost 28 now and still have that crazy thing hanging out back there making it hard for me to find clothes to fit and impossible to wear anything even remotly low cut, not to mention the way it makes my backside look. I'd love to get rid of it but am not crazy about having liposuction.

[Kate]

Don't know much about adults, but my baby was born with lipomyelomeningocele, and our neurosurgeon said the same thing as yours - that she couldn't get the whole lipoma at surgery. She indicated that he "might" re-tether, and they would try again in the new surgery.

His little bump is MUCH smaller than it was before surgery, though - almost unnoticeable, to me.

Sorry . . . I know that probably doesn't help much.

[ibelieve]

Yes mine is much smaller after the 2 surgeries but still very much there. Glad your little one's is so much smaller.

Thanks, it helps to know others have had a similar experience.

[dahliafaolan]

I was born with a rather large lipoma myself. It was reduced in my spinal closure and then again for my detethering, but my rear end is still rather large and strangely shaped because of it. But I've never thought of going to see a plastic surgeon about it. Then again, I don't trust plastic surgeons. They always make mountains out of molehills. I wouldn't trust a plastic surgeon to go poking a liposuction needle around my back, but that's just me. Then again, the fat on my backside also protects me from pressure sores so I've sort of accepted it as a beneficial evil, I guess.

[sbmama]

My daughter had surgery when she was 3 months, and she still has a lot of lipoma left. Her neurosurgeon said she would probably need additional surgery to reduce it when she's older. I started a thread a while back about lipomas making it hard to find pants that fit.

[ibelieve]

Oh, I'll look for your thread sometime. No I don't really trust plastic surgeons either. Has anybody out there had plastic surgery to remove the remaining lipoma?

Besides the pants issues it can be uncomfortable for me to lay on my back because it's alomst like I've got a small pillow under my backside and my back doesn't lay right unless my feet are raised up. Really it's only a minor issue but even minor issues get annoying sometimes.

[dahliafaolan]

I don't know how much of an option this might be, but my parents did this when I was a baby. My lipoma was VERY pronounced as a baby and as a result, I couldn't lie on my back at all without help. So my mom grabbed some foam stuff and made sort of a little mattress thing with a cutout for my butt. Sort of like the beds the Coneheads had if you've ever seen the old movie.

[ibelieve]

lol coneheads, that's going back. What a great idea! I make out okay with my pillowtop mattress but pretty much never sleep on my back anyways. It would just be really nice to get rid of the lipoma. It's not a major problem/issue it's just one of those many minor annoyances that come with sb. At least I know now I'm not the only one out there with a mis-shaped backside.