PANNICULECTOMY

Course overview

A PANNICULECTOMY IS AN OPERATIVE PROCEDURE USED FOR ABDOMINAL WALL CONTOURING, CHANGING THE SHAPE AND FORM OF THE ABDOMEN BY REMOVING SIGNIFICANT EXCESS SKIN AND SUBCUTANEOUS ADIPOSE TISSUE EN BLOC. THIS PROCEDURE IS PERFORMED ON PATIENTS WITH A LARGE OVERHANGING ABDOMINAL PANNICULUS. A PANNICULUS IS AN APRON OF EXCESS SKIN AND FAT HANGING FROM THE ABDOMEN BELOW THE WAISTLINE. THE MANAGEMENT OF ABDOMINAL PANNICULUS SHOULD NOT BE THOUGHT OF SOLELY AS A COSMETIC PROCEDURE. TO ACHIEVE GOOD OUTCOMES, THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF A PANNICULECTOMY MUST BE DEFINED. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS PREOPERATIVE OPTIMIZATION, INDICATIONS, TECHNIQUES, AND COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A PANNICULECTOMY.