Panniculectomy

WHEN HANGING ABDOMINAL FAT CAUSES HEALTH ISSUES.

After losing significant amounts of weight from exercise or surgery, people may be left with excess skin and loose tissue around the abdomen. A panniculectomy is a surgical procedure to remove excess skin and tissue (called the pannus) from the lower abdomen. It differs from a tummy tuck because a panniculectomy doesn’t tighten the abdominal muscles although removing the excess fat can make your abdominal area flatter. The panniculectomy procedure can also be performed alongside a tummy tuck or other abdominal procedures.

A panniculectomy is typically performed when the excess abdominal fat causes health issues such as back pain, skin rashes, or ulcers.

Surgical Technique

During the surgery, patients will be under general anesthesia. Your plastic surgeon will then make two incisions:

a horizontal cut from one hipbone to the next
in some cases, a vertical cut extending to the pubic bone

The length of the cuts depends on how much skin needs to be removed. Through the incisions, the surgeon will remove excess fat and skin. The remaining skin and tissues are then pulled together and closed with stitches, and the incision areas are taped. The surgeon may insert drains during the procedure to remove excess fluid.

In some cases, the belly button may be removed or repositioned. Your surgeon will advise you of this before surgery.

Recovery

In most cases, a panniculectomy is an outpatient surgery. But depending on the extent of your procedure, you may be required to stay overnight for observation and proper healing. Within your pre-consultation, your surgeon will advise you to have someone drive you home after surgery and help you for the first few days. There should be no heavy lifting or strenuous activities for a few weeks following your procedure.

Panniculectomy patients can expect pain and discomfort from swelling and bruising at the incision sites. Complete recovery will take months and you will be required to have follow-up appointments with your doctor to ensure lasting results.