Of abdominoplasty versus panniculectomy?

Subtle difference: Well the first is usually a skin surgery but both can mean the same depending g on the size and thickness of the excess skin and fatty tissue removed. The panniculus is the fat the is under the skin in a large abdomen that protrudes and drops down.

The difference?: If you are asking the difference, a panniculectomy is simply removal of the skin and fat that hangs down from the abdomen (usually after massive weight loss.) abdominoplasty includes this as well as tightening of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall (which are usually stretched out from pregnancy or massive weight gain.).

Big difference: Although the scars are the same for both procedures, the similarities end there. A panniculectomy is a procedure which removes the excess skin of the abdominal apron or pannus below the belly button. An abdominoplasty does this and also removes excess skin above the umbilicus. An abdominoplasty also tightens the abdominal muscles.

Comprehensive v skin: An abdominoplasty is a comprehensive procedure treating all components of skin fat and muscle of the abdominal wall whereas the panniculectomy is essentially a removal of hanging skin and fat.

Elegant vs Simple: Panniculectomy is simply a straight removal of skin and fat from the lower abdomen. There is no repositioning of the belly button or rearrangement of the upper abdominal skin and no abdominal muscular tightening. Some surgeons actually remove the umbilicus during a panniculectomy. A tummy tuck is a more complete cosmetic operation that addresses the "big picture"... Skin, fat, and muscle.

Medical Vs Cosmetic: Panniculectomy can be covered by insurance for the right reasons. This procedure involves removing skin and subcutaneous tissue below the belly-button and closing the defect. Abdominoplasty is often a more cosmetic approach to accomplish a similar end by tightening the abdominal rectus muscles, sometimes moving the belly-button, and smoothening out the rest of the abdominal skin.

Abdominoplasty=10/10: An abdominal panniculectomy implies excision of an ellipse of skin in the lower abdomen without affecting a change in the belly button or in the upper abdominal tissues. An abdominoplasty implies excision of a larger ellipse of skin, repositioning the umbilicus, elevation of the ptotic mons, tightening or repair of the central muscles (divarication of recti) and achieving a more esthetic result.

Very Different: The operations are very different. Tummy tuck operation typically involves excision of excess skin/adipose tissue, re approximation of abdominal wall muscles that may have spread with weight gain/loss or pregnancy, and sometimes liposuctioning. Panniculectomy, on the hand, involves ONLY removal of excess skin/adipose tissue of the lower abdominal wall; much less of an aesthetic outcome...

Abdominoplasty mean abdomen changing. It tightens the muscle, removes excess skin and removes excess fat. It is a complete abdominal remodel and a cosmetic procedure. Panniculectomy mean pannus removal. It is the surgical excision of the pannus, the extra skin that hangs off the lower abdomen. It is a functional procedure performed to treat recurrent infections in the skin fold under the pannus.