Mr. Onur Gilleard
Qualifications & Experience
Mr Onur Gilleard is a distinguished consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register. He previously held an NHS consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, specialising in skin cancer and microsurgical reconstruction. In 2021, Mr Gilleard transitioned from the NHS to dedicate himself fully to private practice, allowing him to focus exclusively on providing personalised, high-quality care to his patients. He is recognised as an expert in laser treatments, having conducted research and developed advanced treatment protocols using cutting-edge laser technology to optimise both clinical outcomes and cosmetic results.
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Book a Consultation
Lipoma removal is part of the minor surgical work run at the St Albans clinic: consultant assessment, and removal under local anaesthetic at the same visit where that is the answer. The part worth knowing before you book is that not every fatty lump is a clinic-room procedure — size, depth and what lies underneath decide the setting, and that decision is made at the consultation rather than on the day.
What Runs in Hertfordshire
The St Albans clinic covers minor surgical and lesion work: lipoma removal, mole removal, cyst and eyelid cyst removal, wart and genital wart removal, cherry angioma and dermatofibroma.
| St Albans | 101 Harley Street | |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation and assessment | Yes | Yes |
| Removal under local anaesthetic at the same visit | Yes | Yes |
| Histology where the specimen warrants it | Yes | Yes |
| Deep, intramuscular or very large lipomas | Assessed first; may need a general anaesthetic in the main operating theatre at 101 Harley Street | |
The prices are the same at both sites — there is no Hertfordshire discount and no London premium.
Same Visit, and What That Does Not Cover
Assessment, the decision and the removal happen in one appointment where the lump is straightforward: 20 to 45 minutes under local anaesthetic depending on size and site. No GP referral is needed and there is no separate waiting list between consultation and surgery.
Two things are not same-day, and it is better to know now.
- Imaging. Where a lump is larger than about 5 cm, lies deep to the muscle fascia, feels fixed or firm, is painful, or has grown noticeably over months, an ultrasound is arranged before removal. Imaging changes how the operation is planned, so doing it afterwards is the wrong order.
- Histology. Where tissue is sent for laboratory examination, the report takes several days. No clinic can compress that.
This is the honest limit of a “same-day” service, and it applies at both sites equally.
Why the Lump Is Assessed Rather Than Simply Removed
The great majority of fatty lumps are exactly what they appear to be. The reason a new or changing one is still examined properly is that a liposarcoma — a malignant tumour of fatty tissue — can resemble a lipoma from the outside. It is uncommon, and the features that separate the two are recognisable at examination: size, depth, rate of growth, consistency and pain.
There is a second reason specific to certain sites. A lump at the groin, the navel, the abdominal midline or over an old surgical scar is checked for a hernia first, because some hernias contain nothing but fat and feel exactly like lipomas — the epigastric hernia in particular. Removing one in the belief that it is a lipoma is a genuine hazard, and the distinction is set out in lipoma or hernia.
Excision, Not Liposuction
A lipoma sits within a thin capsule. Delivering the lesion with that capsule intact is what prevents regrowth, and it is why excision is used for most lipomas even though liposuction sounds gentler: liposuction removes the contents and leaves the capsule, which is the main reason lipomas recur.
The incision is usually shorter than the lump is wide, because fatty tissue delivers through a smaller opening than its diameter suggests, and it follows a natural skin crease where the site allows. The full comparison is on the lipoma removal page.
Cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Consultation | £100 |
| Lipoma removal | £450 |
| Each additional lipoma at the same visit | £350 |
Everything is quoted before treatment. Where a lump needs imaging first, or would be better done under general anaesthetic, that is discussed at the consultation rather than assumed.
When the NHS Is the Right Route in Hertfordshire
The NHS removes lipomas that cause functional problems, pain or diagnostic concern. It does not generally remove one for appearance, which is why most cosmetic removal is self-funded — a commissioning decision rather than a clinical judgement, and worth knowing which of the two you are being told.
If a lump is growing quickly, feels fixed or deep, or is painful, an urgent assessment through a GP is the right route and paying privately does not move that case forward faster. Where private care changes the timeline is the routine end: 38.8% of routine dermatology patients in Hertfordshire and West Essex wait more than 18 weeks — better than every London region, but still four months for a lump that is bothering you rather than alarming anyone. The criteria are set out in removal on the NHS.
Afterwards
Soreness peaks in the first 48 hours and eases noticeably by day three or four. Sutures come out at 7 to 14 days depending on the site. The single biggest influence on the final scar sits in the first fortnight and is not a product: avoiding the gym, lifting and stretching for two weeks matters more than which technique was used, and it matters most on the back, shoulder and chest where wounds are under the most tension. Detail in the recovery timeline and pain after removal.
Getting There
The St Albans clinic serves Hertfordshire and the surrounding towns — Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Radlett and Luton — reached from the M1 at junction 6 and from the A1(M). St Albans City station runs into St Pancras in around twenty minutes, which for some patients makes Harley Street the easier of the two sites rather than the harder one.
Common Questions
- Can I have a lipoma removed in St Albans?
- Yes. Lipoma removal is part of the minor surgical and lesion work run at the Hertfordshire clinic, with assessment and removal under local anaesthetic at the same visit where the lump is straightforward.
- What does it cost in Hertfordshire?
- £450 for the removal and £350 for each additional lipoma at the same appointment, with a £100 consultation. The prices are the same at both clinics.
- Is same-day removal possible?
- For a straightforward lump, yes — assessment, decision and removal in one appointment. Not where the lump needs imaging first, and never for the histology result, which takes several days whatever the clinic.
- Do I need a GP referral?
- No. You can book a consultation directly. If a lump is growing rapidly, feels fixed or deep, or is painful, an urgent NHS assessment through a GP is the right route.
- Will I need a scan first?
- Likely if the lump is over about 5 cm, lies deep to the muscle fascia, feels fixed or firm, is painful, or has grown noticeably over months. Ultrasound is the usual first test and is arranged before removal.
- Do you see patients from Harpenden and nearby towns?
- Yes — the St Albans clinic serves Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Radlett and Luton, reached from the M1 at junction 6 and the A1(M).
- Will the NHS remove it?
- Where it causes functional problems, pain or diagnostic concern. Not generally for appearance alone. For routine cases the wait is real: 38.8% of routine dermatology patients in Hertfordshire and West Essex wait more than 18 weeks.
- Will it come back?
- Not usually, provided the capsule came out with the contents. Complete excision has a low recurrence rate; techniques that leave the capsule behind, liposuction in particular, carry a higher one.
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