Leonard, a 54-year-old man, had a large, smelly, and concerning growth on his shoulder that he called the "chip" on his shoulder. He was afraid to see a doctor due to fear of catching something or finding out what the problem was. Dr. Lee examined him and decided to take a biopsy to determine the cause of the growth. The biopsy results showed that it was a lipoma, a benign growth of fatty cells.
Dr. Lee performed surgery to remove the lipoma, using a circular incision to remove the damaged skin and then using her finger to gently dislodge the lipoma from the surrounding tissue. The surgery was successful, and the lipoma was removed.
After the surgery, Leonard reported that he felt happier and more confident, and that people were no longer avoiding him due to the smell and appearance of the growth. He was grateful to have the "chip" removed and was able to start socializing again.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Leonard, a 54-year-old man, had a large bump on his shoulder that he called the "chip on my shoulder".
2. The bump started as a small lump and grew bigger over time.
3. Leonard was worried about the bump and thought it might be something serious.
4. He was afraid to see a doctor and considered cutting the bump off with a chainsaw.
5. Dr. Lee, a dermatologist, examined the bump and took a biopsy to determine what it was.
6. The biopsy results showed that the bump was a lipoma, a type of benign tumor.
7. Lipomas are typically harmless and do not metastasize to other areas of the body.
8. Dr. Lee removed the lipoma using a circular incision and finger dissection.
9. The lipoma was made up of multiple lobules that were tucked inside the skin.
10. After the removal, Leonard reported feeling happier and more confident.
11. He also reported that people no longer avoided him because of the smell of the lipoma.
12. The removal process was not as difficult as Leonard thought it would be.
13. Dr. Lee used a tumescent technique to numb the area before removing the lipoma.
14. The lipoma was about 3 pounds and had an open wound on the end.
15. Leonard had considered cutting the lipoma off with a chainsaw because he was afraid of doctors.
16. Dr. Lee has removed hundreds of lipomas in her practice, but never one as large as Leonard's.
17. Leonard's fear of doctors was partly due to a fear of catching something from them.
18. Dr. Lee recommends taking a biopsy before removing a large growth to determine the best course of action.