Redeem now - Dr. Pimple Popper treated a woman with a growth the size of a baby's head near her armpit.
- The growth was a lipoma, or fat-filled mass, said Dr. Pimple Popper.
- She used her hands and scissors to remove the lipoma in one giant chunk.
On this week's episode of "Dr. Pimple Popper," dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee removed a fat mass from inside a woman's arm growth.
Stacey from Conyers, Georgia visited Dr. Pimple Popper after living with a growth, which is wedged below her shoulder and near her armpit, for 16 years. Stacey estimated the growth is now the size of a baby's head, though it was golf ball-sized when she first noticed it.
"It feels like there's a band around my arm," Stacey said on the episode.
She said the cost of removing her growth has prevented her from getting the procedure. Instead, she wears extra-large shirts with arms that hide the bump. Stacey also said her bump prevents her from being as hands-on as she wants with her kindergarten students.
Dr. Pimple Popper removed Stacey's lipoma with her fingers and scissors
After examining Stacey's growth, Dr. Pimple Popper identified it as a lipoma.
Lipomas are fat-filled growths that sit between a person's muscle layer and skin layer. Typically, lipomas grow slowly and are fairly small, about two inches in diameter, according to the Mayo Clinic.
These growths usually feel doughy to the touch and, if pressed with a finger, will move around a bit under the skin. For most people, lipomas don't cause any pain, but for some, the growths can be painful if they're near nerves or blood vessels. If that's the case, the lipomas can be drained.
Dr. Pimple Popper said Stacey's lipoma felt dense and fibrous from the outside, which could make it more difficult to remove in one piece.
To treat Stacey, Lee first numbed the area with an injectable solution and cut through the lipoma's center with a blade. Underneath the incision's surface was a slimy off-white fat mass, that Dr. Pimple Popper's assistant said looked "promising."
Dr. Pimple Popper used her fingers to press along the fat mass and remove fibrous tissues from it, which hold the mass in place. She also used scissors to cut away the fibers and loosen the lipoma. More blood rose the the surface, which Lee said looked like ketchup.
Using one hand to stop the heavy growth from falling on the floor, Lee used her other hand to cut away the final fibers. Suddenly, the growth fell into Lee's hand in one satisfying chunk.
When she weighed it, it came in at five pounds and five ounces.
To close the incision, Dr. Pimple Popper used stitches.
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