Panniculectomy is performed on both men and women. You are a good candidate for panniculectomy if you have recently experienced significant weight loss as a result of bariatric surgery or a post-pregnancy complication that left excess amounts of fat below the belly button.
Reaches a body mass index (BMI) less than or equal to 30 kg/m2; or. Has documented at least a 100 pound weight loss; or. Has achieved a weight loss which is 40% or greater of the excess body weight that was present prior to the individual's weight loss program or surgical intervention.
Medicare only covers tummy tuck surgery if it is deemed as a medical necessity. Medicare does not cover elective cosmetic tummy tucks. Patients can get coverage under Medicare if it is deemed as a medical necessity by their GP. You need to have a valid medical referral and meet the strict criteria.
panniculectomy should not be performed until at least 18 months after surgery and only after weight has been stable for the most recent 6 months. Abdominoplasty is considered cosmetic and therefore not medically necessary.
How many sizes you go down depends on where you started and how your body changes after the procedure. Most women lose between 2 and 3 pants sizes after a tuck, but there are patients who lose even more. If you had a lot of loose skin before the procedure, for example, you could go down 4 more pants sizes.
Your body cannot re-grow fat cells. As an adult, you have all the fat cells you will have for life as genetically predetermined for your body. Any fat cells removed through liposuction will not and cannot ever grow back.
Patients are advised to be within 15 to 20 pounds of their ideal weight before moving forward with the surgery. Being at a healthy, stable weight increases the chances of achieving the most optimal results.
A panniculectomy is surgery to remove fat and skin that hangs down from your belly. Often the extra fat and skin come from losing a lot of weight. Your belly will be sore and swollen for the first week after surgery.
During panniculectomy, which is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital or outpatient surgery center, the surgeon typically makes two incisions: one that runs vertically from the lower portion of the sternum to the pubic bone, and one that runs horizontally across the pubic area.
$11,000 – $15,000 for a low-cost cheaper surgery – sometimes a mini Abdominoplasty “skin-only” with no muscle repair. $15,000 – $19,000 for mid-range Abdominoplasty surgery. $19,000 and above for premier Abdominoplasty surgery.
Loss of 5 BMI Points or More
For an Abdominoplasty Medicare rebate, you must have lost a significant amount of weight. It is about losing at least 5 BMI points. Basically, if you have lost around 10 kgs. to 15 kgs. of weight in a short period of time, you may be eligible for a Medicare funded tummy tuck procedure.
Medicare Rebate & Health Fund Eligibility
Medicare will NOT cover most plastic surgeries, but some corrective plastic surgery procedures may be. For example, abdominoplasty after significant weight loss, meeting strict criteria, may attract a Medicare rebate or health fund coverage.
Results: Average abdominal skin resection was 16.1 pounds, ranging from 10.3 to 49 pounds.
In general, you may be a good panniculectomy candidate if: You are physically healthy and at a stable weight. You have realistic expectations. You are a nonsmoker.
A tummy tuck is ideal for anyone with mild-to-moderate concerns, while a panniculectomy is performed for people who have undergone major weight loss and have a panniculus, a flap of excess skin hanging from their stomach. A panniculectomy is a more extensive surgery than a tummy tuck, thus has a longer recovery time.
You may lose your belly button.
Some people who undergo a panniculectomy will have their belly button removed if it is at increased risk for losing its blood flow or becoming infected.
In some cases, surgeons may insert drains to remove excess fluid after the procedure. The belly button is typically not affected during a panniculectomy unless performed in combination with a complete tummy tuck or abdominoplasty.
Panniculectomy patients are at a high risk for venous thromboembolism for a multitude of reasons, such as long operative times under general anesthesia, large area dissection, and prolonged periods of decreased activity postoperatively.
Sometimes people do not have a totally flat abdomen after tummy tuck even though the excess skin and fat is removed due to the fact that the intra-abdominal contents still remain intact and are still behind the tightened abdominal muscles.
An incision is also typically made around the navel, although in certain cases the navel may have to be sacrificed. The remaining upper abdominal skin is pulled down like a window shade. The excess skin is trimmed and the remaining skin is sutured together.
Local anesthesia means you'll be sedated and the area around the surgery will be numbed. You're awake during the surgery, but relaxed and feeling no pain.
Potential panniculectomy complications include : poor wound healing. fluid collecting under the skin. skin infections.
It's about the length of a C-section scar (between 3 inches and 6 inches).