Mass Excision Specialist
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Ray Sheppard Jr., MD
General Surgery and Advanced Robotic Surgery located in Huntsville, AL & Madison, AL
If you need to have a mass or growth removed, you want to turn to a general surgeon who uses the latest minimally invasive techniques to get the job done quickly and safely. At his practice, Ray Sheppard, MD General Surgery, Dr. Sheppard has the experience and expertise you need for all types of mass excisions, from lymph nodes to benign growths. If you’re in Madison or Huntsville, Alabama, and you’d like more information about mass excision, please call or use the online scheduling tool to set up a consultation.
Mass Excision Q & A
Why would I need a mass excision?
While the term “mass” may automatically bring to mind a dangerous tumor, most masses are noncancerous, but they can still be problematic because of location, function, or discomfort.
For example, if you have a lump developing under your skin that’s formed by fat, this is called a lipoma. While lipomas aren’t necessarily dangerous, they can continue to grow, which may pose problems with your ability to function normally, and they can become irritated if they’re located in an active area. As well, lipomas can develop anywhere on your body, but if one shows up in a highly visible area, you may want to have it removed for cosmetic concerns.
Cysts are another type of mass that are characterized by sacs that are filled with liquid or gas. Cysts are generally harmless, but they can grow to very large sizes and interfere with the normal function of your body. For example, a cyst on one of your internal organs may compromise that organ, while cysts that develop near the surface of your skin generally don’t pose any risks.
Rounding out the list of reasons why you may need a mass excision is the removal of a lymph node (or nodes) for biopsy.
How is a mass excision performed?
Dr. Sheppard is highly trained in the latest minimally invasive techniques and uses them wherever possible in order to reduce your risks and speed up your recovery. To remove your mass, he makes only small incisions through which he threads tiny, specialized equipment. To view the area, he first inserts a tiny, lighted camera that delivers real-time images to a video monitor. With the monitor, Dr. Sheppard is able to guide the tools to perform the excision.
What is recovery like after a mass excision?
Because Dr. Sheppard uses laparoscopic techniques for most mass excisions, your recovery is usually much faster than traditional, open surgery. The incisions are smaller and heal more quickly, and there’s also greatly reduced collateral damage to your surrounding tissue.
In addition, the smaller incisions mean that there’s less bleeding and risk of infection.
It’s important to note that there are times when Dr. Sheppard may have to go in using a larger incision, especially for larger masses or masses that are in hard-to-reach areas.
If you need to have a lipoma, cyst, or lymph node removed, call Ray Sheppard, MD, or set up an appointment using the online scheduling tool.
