Beauty Doc Blog

Panniculectomy surgery can become necessary for patients who have had massive weight loss due to bariatric weight-loss surgery. It is a reconstructive procedure performed to remove a panniculus, or pannus, also known as an abdominal apron. The panniculus often contributes to a great number of health problems which include chronic wounds. This type of surgery may become necessary for patients who have had massive weight loss as a result of successful bariatric weight-loss surgery which has become one of the fasted growing types of surgery in the US. Expectations therefore are that a very large number of patients will require reconstructive surgery of this type.

What Is The Pannus?

The abdominal pannus is exercised in panniculectomy surgery. As a reconstructive abdomioplasty involving the anterior muscle will and fascial placation is most often performed. A suction lipoplasty may be needed to improve the reconstructed abdominal wall contour, and the patient may undergo umbilical or ventral hernia repairs. When the procedures is performed an incision results in creation of a scar from the xiphoid process to the public bone. This meets a second scar which is horizontal and just above the public area, forming an inverted T. In creating the T the surgeon frees up fat and skin from the anterior abdomen. Then a large triangle shaped area of loose skin and excess fat will be carefully removed and the remaining tissue is attached to the anterior abdominal wall as well as to itself. Many procedures can be performed concurrently including exploratory laporatomy and revision of the primary surgery, repair of the ventral hernia and abdominal wall.

Candidates For the Procedure

Candidates for the procure are of course those who have lost excessive amounts of weight. When this happens patients usually have large hanging aprons of excessive skin and fat under the stomach area. It is recommended that patients considering the surgery wait one year after the surgery to then have a panniculectomy to remove the apron or pannus.

Waiting One Year Strongly Recommended

Through waiting a year and allowing an interval for weight loss after initial surgery fewer complications develop. This includes fewer incidents of wound infection and less wound reopening. Twenty percent of those patients who have had bariatric surgery and immediately had a panniculectomy had to have it repeated later, indicating some of the benefits of waiting.

Of course patients going through the procedures described above should be encouraged to make major lifestyle changes. Diet and exercise will help them maintain the weight and avoid any future problems. The amount of increased self-esteem most patients have after the procedures makes chances of success much greater