Panniculectomy

I am scheduled for a panniculectomy after weight-loss due to PCOS condition next week.  I am NOT paying for the procedure.

The surgeon has indicated that he will remove everything below the BB, then loose the skin on top of and around the BB and pull it down to eliminate some loose skin above the BB.

He states, due to my age and the fact that he doesn't believe it will help, he will not do any muscle tightening as it is not inlcuded in a panniculectomy and he said if he was doing a full TT he probably still wouldn't do it.

Said he will pull me snug - but not tight as he feels there is danger in pulling the skin too tight in wound separation.

He also indicates that if I loose more weight (I've lost 150 lbs, could stand to lose 20 more), I will get even a better result post-surgery.

I am 51 - the only thing I'm worried about is loosening the skin above the BB and pulling it down enough to remove the "hanging skin" above it.  He already did a pre-op marking to show me what he was doing and he drew lips from outer hip to hip and right above the pubic area and about 2 inches above my BB, drew on a new BB and then dotted lines up and around the BB to the point where he said he would loosen the skin from it's blood supply and pull it down.

Does this sound like I'm getting a good outcome - especially for a panniculectomy versus a TT?  It does to me, I just want to make sure I get a level appearance to my abdomen and not flat on the bottom and sticking out on the top.

Thanks!

[Michael B Wolfeld, MD]

Hi
It is very hard to tell you the result you may obtain without examining you.  A panniculectomy does by definition involve removing the skin below the belly button and a tummy tuck involves removing this skin while tightening the skin above the belly button and tightening your abdominal muscles.  And the more weight you lose prior to surgery the better outcome you will have.
Hope this helps.