The extra fold or folds of skin can hinder hygiene, put stress on the back, and make everyday activities difficult. Often, the areas in the pubic region under the pannus can become moist as perspiration is trapped. This can cause rashes, skin ulcers, and odor. Clothing may not fit comfortably, and, if severe, even simple activities such as standing and walking can become difficult.Often times even with solid medical evidence, it will be denied coverage. Most simple abdominal panniculectomy procedures are largely done in men. Men don't need muscle tightening and a simple skin overhang removal is often enough. Women usually require a true tummy tuck to get the abdominal contour that they desire.
But what are the drawbacks to massive weight loss? Sometimes, however, when a patient loses a massive amount of weight, he or she is left with large amounts of loose, sagging skin that can be unsightly, embarrassing, and can interfere with your daily activities. The excess hanging skin and tissue is depressing and may leave you feeling that your hard work didn’t pay off as you expected.
It may be performed on its own as a procedure or can be combined with a tummy tuck. Many patients seeking a panniculectomy have experienced massive weight loss, often following bariatric surgery for obesity, or have had serious complications during a pregnancy that have caused the skin to be unable to return to the original shape and elasticity. The pannus may extend as low as a patient's knees, interfering with the ability to perform routine everyday activities. It can also cause myriad health issues such as back problems, skin rashes, ulcers, or other skin disorders. Additionally, it can interfere with everyday tasks such as walking, sitting, standing, or driving.
The abdominal panniculectomy refers to simply cutting off the pannus. This is different than a true tummy tuck in that the skin edges are not as undermined, no muscles are tightened, and no areas are treated by liposuction. It is simply an amputation of whatever overhangs the waistline. In the obese patient, this pannus may have considerable weight anywhere from 30 lbs or higher.
Specifically, skin irritations and rashes (known as panniculitis) resulted from the always present moisture and heat in the underlying skin fold. In some cases, the size of the pannus and its amount of overhang actually cut off some of the blood supply and lymphatic outflow resulting in swelling and infection. Surgically removing the pannus was common then but the complication rate was high due to the patient's obesity. Today, surgical removal of any abdominal overhang would await weight loss through bariatic surgery.
A panniculectomy is a very close cousin to a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty. The term pannus refers to a large apron of skin and fat that hangs over the waistline. The abdominal panniculectomy, surgical removal of a pannus, is a somewhat historic term now as it really refers to the pre-bariatric surgery era when obese individuals had a large pannus that hung down. At that time, many abdominal panniculectomy procedures were done to relieve the medical symptoms that the pannus caused.
”. That is their “determining” factor if the insurance will pay or not. As stated above, panniculectomies are commonly medically necessary. They are mostly medically necessary because of rashes, skin conditions, and or pain. Insurance companies are more willing to pay for a medically necessary procedure rather than a cosmetic procedure like a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty.
A panniculectomy is a different procedure than an abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a tummy tuck. While this surgery removes the extra skin in addition to some of the fat and muscle tissue to flatten the appearance of the abdomen, a panniculectomy only removes the skin folds. Both are typically done by a medical professional specializing in plastic surgery.
