Lipoma & Cyst Removal in Portland, OR
Physician-performed in-office excision · Pro-Nox comfort
That lump doesn't need a hospital, a long wait, or a big scar. We remove lipomas and cysts right here in the office — physician-performed, hundreds of procedures behind us, with the scar-minimizing technology and comfort options a general surgeon's office simply doesn't have.
You've got a lump — a soft, movable bump under the skin, or a tender cyst that keeps coming back — and you've been putting off doing anything about it. Maybe your primary care doctor said “we can refer you to a surgeon,” and the idea of a hospital visit, a wait, and a scar made you decide to just live with it.
Here's what most people don't realize: lipomas and most cysts can be removed in a single, straightforward office visit — no hospital, no general anesthesia, no long recovery. And when it's done by a physician-led aesthetic practice, the goal isn't just to get the lump out. It's to get it out and leave your skin looking like it was never there. That's a different standard than a rushed surgical referral, and it's the one we hold.
- Downtime
- Back to your day; simple incision care for 1–2 weeks
- Comfort
- Thorough local numbing + optional Pro-Nox — you drive yourself home
- Typical plan
- One visit — most removals take 30–60 minutes
- Typical cost
- Quoted all-in at a free consult, by size, type, and location
What are lipomas and cysts? (And how to tell them apart)
Both are common, almost always benign, and both are far easier to remove than to keep worrying about.
Lipomas
Soft, rubbery growths of fat cells that form just under the skin — usually painless, movable when you press them, and slow-growing. They're the most common soft-tissue growth in adults and tend to run in families. Harmless — but size, location, discomfort, or simply not wanting a visible lump are all reasons people have them removed.
Cysts
Closed sacs under the skin — most commonly epidermoid or sebaceous cysts, filled with keratin or oily material. Unlike lipomas, cysts can become inflamed, tender, or infected, and they often refill and recur if not fully removed, because the sac keeps regenerating its contents.
That recurrence is the key reason a cyst should be properly excised — sac and all — rather than just drained. Draining a cyst without removing the wall is why they keep coming back.
And a note on knowing for sure: while lipomas and cysts are almost always benign, part of a proper medical removal is a physician evaluating the growth and, when appropriate, sending the tissue for pathology — so you get a definitive answer, not a guess. That's a step a medical clinic takes and a cosmetic quick-fix doesn't.
Why have it done here instead of a hospital or surgeon?
This is the question worth asking, and we have a real answer. A general surgeon or hospital can absolutely remove a lipoma or cyst — but a physician-led aesthetic practice approaches it differently, in three ways that matter.
We do this constantly
Lipoma and cyst removal isn't an occasional add-on here — it's a routine, high-volume part of what we do, with hundreds of completed procedures behind us. Experience is everything in minimizing scarring and getting clean, complete removals. You're not anyone's first case.
We have the technology to minimize scarring
A surgeon removes the growth and closes the incision — their job ends there. We bring the whole toolkit to the outcome: meticulous, cosmetically-minded closure technique, and scar-minimizing resurfacing technology (including our CO₂ laser) if a scar ever needs refining down the line.
We make it genuinely comfortable
Between Pro-Nox and thorough numbing, “I don't want to be awake for that” stops being a reason to avoid it. More on this below — comfort here is an investment, not an afterthought.
The result: a minor procedure that fits in your day, done by people who do it all the time, with an outcome held to an aesthetic standard rather than a “the lump is gone, good enough” one.
We remove it like a surgeon and finish it like an aesthetic practice.
Comfort: Pro-Nox and advanced numbing
The number one reason people avoid getting a lump removed isn't the procedure — it's the fear of the procedure. So let's address it directly, because comfort is something we take seriously and have invested in.
- Pro-Nox: you control your own comfort. Pro-Nox is an FDA-cleared, patient-controlled comfort system delivering a 50/50 blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen — you breathe it through a mouthpiece only when you want it, so you control your comfort in real time. It takes effect within a few breaths, relieves both pain and anxiety, and clears your system in about 10–15 minutes — which means you can drive yourself home afterward. It takes the edge off completely without putting you under, and for an anxious patient, that sense of control is often as valuable as the relief itself.
- Topical and injectable numbing. For the procedure itself, we thoroughly numb the area with local anesthetic, so the removal is essentially painless — you may feel pressure or movement, but not sharp pain.
Together, Pro-Nox for the nerves and local anesthetic for the site mean most patients are genuinely surprised by how easy the experience is. Our goal is simple: any procedure at OML should be as painless as we can possibly make it. That's a commitment, not a tagline.
What the visit is like
Step 1
Consultation
A physician examines the growth, confirms what it likely is, walks you through the removal and what to expect, and answers every question. Your removal is then scheduled as its own visit — we keep the wait short, and we'll give you honest timing at the consult.
Step 2
Numbing & comfort
We thoroughly numb the area with local anesthetic and offer Pro-Nox for comfort and anxiety.
Step 3
Removal
Through a small, carefully placed incision, the physician removes the lipoma or the entire cyst — sac included, to prevent recurrence. Placement and technique are chosen with the final cosmetic result in mind.
Step 4
Closure
Meticulous, cosmetically-minded closure — because how it's closed largely determines how it heals.
Step 5
Pathology, when appropriate
Removed tissue can be sent to the lab for confirmation, so you leave with a definitive answer rather than a guess.
Step 6
Aftercare
Simple wound-care instructions, and the ability to text us with any healing question. Most people return to normal activity quickly, with limits only around the incision site as it heals.
How long it takes
Most removals take 30–60 minutes, depending on the size and location of the growth.
Getting home
Pro-Nox clears your system in about 10–15 minutes — you can drive yourself home after the procedure.
Scarring: the honest answer
Any incision leaves some mark — anyone who promises zero scar is overselling. What we promise is that minimizing the scar is a primary goal, not an afterthought, and that we have more tools to deliver on it than a standard surgical setting:
- Cosmetically-minded incision placement and closure — the single biggest factor in how a scar heals, and where experience shows.
- Scar-minimizing aftercare protocols we send home with you.
- Access to resurfacing technology — like our CO₂ laser — to refine a scar later if you ever want to. An option a general surgeon's office simply doesn't offer.
- Hundreds of procedures of pattern recognition for what heals cleanly.
For most lipomas and cysts in most locations, patients heal with a small, faint scar that fades substantially over time. We'll give you an honest expectation for your specific growth, location, and skin before we do anything.
Pricing
Removal is priced by the size, type, and location of the growth, and whether pathology is indicated — a small cyst is a different procedure than a large or deep lipoma. We quote it plainly at your consultation, all-in, with no surprise line items.
- GloLUX Rewards applies to removal visits.
Stop living with the lump you've been ignoring
One office visit, a physician who's done hundreds of these, real comfort options, and an outcome held to an aesthetic standard — not a hospital referral and a big scar. Bring it in; we'll take a look for free.
Is this the right path for you?
Every plan starts with a free consultation — open 7 days a week, (503) 395-7736.
Common questions
- Can a lipoma or cyst really be removed in the office?
- Yes — the large majority of lipomas and cysts are removed in a single straightforward office visit under local anesthetic, with no hospital, no general anesthesia, and no long recovery. Our physician has performed hundreds of these procedures. Only unusually large, deep, or complicated growths need a hospital setting — and we'll tell you honestly if yours is one of them.
- Does it hurt?
- We make it as painless as we possibly can. The area is thoroughly numbed with local anesthetic, so you won't feel sharp pain during the removal — just some pressure. And we offer Pro-Nox, a patient-controlled nitrous-oxide-and-oxygen system you breathe as needed to stay relaxed and comfortable, controlling it yourself. Because Pro-Nox clears your system in minutes, you can even drive yourself home.
- Will it leave a scar?
- Some mark is unavoidable with any incision, but minimizing it is our priority — through cosmetically-minded incision placement and closure, scar-care aftercare, and, unlike a general surgeon's office, access to resurfacing technology like our CO₂ laser to refine a scar later if you'd like. Most patients heal with a small, faint scar that fades over time.
- Why not just have my regular doctor drain the cyst?
- Draining a cyst without removing the sac wall is the main reason cysts come back — the wall regenerates the contents. Proper removal takes out the entire sac so it doesn't recur. That complete excision, done with a cosmetic eye, is exactly what we do.
- Do I need to have it removed at all?
- Medically, most lipomas and many cysts are harmless and don't require removal. People choose removal for comfort, size, location, recurrence, or appearance — or simply for peace of mind and a definitive answer from pathology. If a growth shows any concerning features, that changes the recommendation, and we'll be direct with you about it.
- How long does recovery take?
- Most people return to normal daily activity quickly, with care around the incision site as it heals over one to two weeks and a temporary limit on activities that stress the area. We provide full aftercare instructions, and you can text us with any question while you heal.
- Is the removed tissue tested?
- When appropriate, yes — we can send the removed lipoma or cyst for pathology to confirm what it was. Getting a definitive answer is part of doing this in a medical setting rather than as a cosmetic quick fix.
- Is lipoma or cyst removal covered by insurance?
- We can't bill your insurance for you — your removal is quoted plainly at your consultation, all-in, with no surprise line items. But yes, we do accept HSA/FSA. And if reimbursement is provided or offered by your plan, we can assist in submitting any documentation you need for it.
Often considered alongside
- Active Acne Treatment → — Medical-grade care for acne that's happening right now — light-based treatment that calms breakouts at the source, cortisone injections that flatten a cyst in a day or two, and an $89/month membership so you never have to ride out a flare alone.
- Dermaplaning Facial → — Gentle exfoliation that removes dead cells and vellus hair for a brighter surface.
- Skin Tag, Mole & Wart Removal → — Physician-performed removal with virtually no scarring — from a single skin tag on your eyelid to a full-body mole check. Most removals take minutes; every suspicious lesion gets pathology review.