Can heat melt away lipomas without a scalpel?
NCT ID NCT06903208
First seen Aug 14, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can safely and effectively treat superficial lipomas—benign fatty lumps under the skin—without leaving a scar. Instead of cutting out the lipoma, a thin needle delivers heat to melt it, guided by ultrasound. The study will measure patient satisfaction, changes in lesion size, and complication rates in adults with small lipomas on the trunk, abdomen, or extremities.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Radiofrequency ablation using the STARMed VIVA Combo RF System, a device that delivers heat through a needle to melt the lipoma.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a scar-free alternative to surgical removal of lipomas, improving cosmetic outcomes and patient satisfaction.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early trial (10 people), so results may not apply broadly. Risks include incomplete ablation, recurrence, or complications like infection or skin burns.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients \>18 years old * Patients with a lipoma \<5 cm, above the fascia on the trunk, abdomen or extremities Exclusion Criteria: * Lipomas of the face or neck * Angiolipomas (identified on exam as a firm, mobile, occasionally discolored mass) * Patients with history of hereditary retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis and Werner syndrome * A history of exposure to herbicides, arsenic and dioxin * A history of radiation treatment for other cancers
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10032, United States
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