title: A radical approach to bacterial panniculitis of the abdominal wall in the morbidly obese.
abstract: The morbidly obese patient, although at risk for many perioperative complications of radical surgery, paradoxically presents the opportunity for wide excision of abdominal soft-tissue infections. This report describes the successful radical surgical management of bacterial panniculitis of the abdominal wall occasioned by a variety of extrafascial and intraperitoneal sources in 13 patients. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 2 years, except for one patient who died 2 months after hospital discharge. The remainder are alive with intact fascial closure and no pannicular infection. A radical approach to the infected abdominal wall, incorporating wide en-bloc excision of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and strangulated intestine, facilitates successful fascial and skin closure in a noninfected field in the morbidly obese.
authors: Division of General Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. 20007.
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Nauta
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D015434:Panniculitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification