Pannus stomach can cause discomfort and complications like skin infections.
If that happens, noninvasive body contouring or surgery will restore your shape.
In some cases, the skin and fat may hang to the knees (or lower).
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It also takes a physical toll.
When skin touches skin, the fold rubs together and retains heat and moisture.
It’s essential to keep the skinfold clean and dry.
Exercise is also the first line of treatment for diastasis recti.Severe muscle separation may not improve with exercise alone.
Some may alsotighten your skin.
Body contouring is not intended for weight loss and won’t help a significant pannus belly.
These procedures use a handheld unit placed against your skin.
The unit sends out freezing temperatures, radiofrequency energy, laser, or ultrasound to break down fat cells.
Your plastic surgeon can also remove an apron belly during an abdominoplasty.
(Technically, they’re doing two procedures: abdominoplasty andpanniculectomy.)
After abdominoplasty, you should plan to take two to three weeks off from work.
You’ll also need to limit strenuous physical activity for four to six weeks.
The scar will run along the bottom of your abdomen, just above the pubic bone.
It should be low enough that it’s concealed by underwear and bikini bottoms.
However, your insurance may cover an abdominoplasty with or without the panniculectomy if itsmedically necessary.
Panniculectomy
Apanniculectomyis surgery to remove the overhanging fat and skin.
During a panniculectomy, your surgeon only removes the apron belly.
They do not repair or tighten the abdominal muscles.
(You’ll need a simultaneous abdominoplasty if you also need to improve the muscles.)
A panniculectomy is usually performed under general anesthesia.
It typically takes up to three months for the wounds to heal and the swelling to go down.
However, the incision size and placement depend on how much fat and skin your surgeon must remove.
Insurance will often cover the surgery if its deemed medically necessary.
It can occur with pregnancy, obesity, and after major weight loss.
There are no diets or exercises that can directly target a pannus stomach.
Overall weight loss and exercise may help, as can learning to properly care for your pannus stomach.
However, most people need noninvasive body contouring or surgery to eliminate an apron belly.
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