Successful surgery on 'giant' lipoma weighing more than 8 kg

In early March 2025, patient D.TH was hospitalized with a large tumor in the left thigh, causing severe mobility restriction. Through clinical examination combined with paraclinical tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), doctors discovered a very large lipoma (about 182x188x250mm), located deep in the muscle, compressing the vascular bundle and important nerve branches. Recognizing that this was the direct cause of motor impairment, the expert council unanimously agreed to prescribe surgery to completely remove the tumor, relieve the compression, and restore the patient's motor function. Notably, the patient had a history of surgery to remove recurrent lipoma up to 4 times at many medical facilities across the country. However, the tumor continued to grow back. Unlike normal lipoma cases, Ms. H's lipoma not only resides under the skin but also invades deep into the muscle, intertwining between large muscle bundles, making surgery complicated and potentially risky.

Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Van Chuong, Deputy Head of General Surgery Department, Nghe An Oncology Hospital, head of the surgical team said:“The tumor has a complex lobular structure, located between large muscle bundles, close to important blood vessels and nerves. Therefore, the surgical team had to perform the dissection very meticulously and carefully to minimize the risk of damage to neighboring structures. After many hours of intense surgery, the entire tumor weighing more than 8 kg was successfully dissected and removed.

After 48 hours of surgery and post-operative care, the patient was able to walk independently, had good limb sensation, and showed no signs of abnormalities. After a general health assessment, the patient was discharged from the hospital, continued to be monitored and treated according to a specialized protocol.

According to specialist 2 Nguyen Van Chuong, lipoma is a benign tumor, formed by excessive proliferation of fat cells under the skin. Normally, lipoma grows slowly and causes little pain. However, when the tumor grows to a large size, it can compress nerves and blood vessels, causing limited movement and seriously affecting the quality of life. In the case of patient D.TH, the rapid recurrence and enlarged tumor size may be due to genetic factors, constitution or lifestyle. In addition, the possibility of residual tumor tissue from previous surgeries is also the reason why the tumor continues to grow, Dr. Chuong said.