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Page 19
April 15-16, 2019 | Milan, Italy
OF EXCELLENCE
IN INTERNATIONAL
MEETINGS
YEARS
GlobalWomen Health 2019 Research and Reports in Gynecology and Obstetrics | ISSN: 2591-7366 | Volume 3
BREAST CANCER,
GYNECOLOGY ANDWOMEN HEALTH
2nd World Congress on
THE PANNUS ADAPTER
Paige L Long Sharps
Montefiore Medical Center, USA
The present invention relates to surgical equipment and in particular, to a device that is intended to support
and contain a pannus during a surgical procedure to provide unobstructed access to the surgical site and
provide, post-surgery, a clean site that is exposed to air to promote proper healing. A pannus is a medical term
for a hanging flap of tissue. When involving the abdomen, it is called a panniculus and consists of skin, fat and
sometimes contents of the internal abdomen as part of a hernia. A pannus can be the result of obesity which
unfortunately is becoming more and more widespread in society. The pannus is particularly troublesome and
must be properly dealt with during the delivery of a child from an obese woman. It is generally understood that
the term“obese” actually refers to anyone who is more than 30% over their ideal body weight. In 1962, 13% of
the American population was classified as obese. By 1994, this number had increased to 23%. Yet, just six years
later in 2000, this number had skyrocketed to over 30%.Today, an estimated two-thirds of Americans are con-
sidered overweight while one is three is obese. Obesity can put a woman and her baby at risk for serious health
complications as well as complications during delivery of such a woman who is obese during pregnancy has an
increased risk of experiencing problems during delivery and labor is more likely to be slow and prolonged, thus
increasing the likelihood of cesarean section. The presence of a pannus during a cesarean section complicates
the overall process and additional procedures must be followed to prepare the woman for surgery. As is known,
in a conventional cesarean section procedure, after the skin is thoroughly cleansed with an aseptic solution
and sterile drapes spread over the surgical field, the abdomen is entered my making an incision through all
the layers of the abdominal wall: the skin, the fat and then several muscle layers and muscle sheaths (fascia).
This incision can be made either vertically below the umbilicus like a zipper, or horizontally right above the
pubic bone, a “bikini cut”. Recent studies as well as personal experience have found that maternity units are
not particularly well equipped for obese pregnant women. Presently, fairly crude techniques are used to deal
with obese pregnant women that have a pannus that is obstructing the abdomen area where the cesarean
section is to be performed. For example, in order to push the pannus back and hold the pannus away from the
underlying tissue where the cesarean incision is to be made, an elongated band, such as adhesive tape, duct
tape, surgical tape or the like, is attached to the lower abdomen above the incision on either side and is pulled
up and back with sufficient force to lift the pannus away from the underlying tissue, and the other end of the
band is fixedly attached to another structure. The structures to which ends of the band are attached can be legs
of the bed or other fixtures in the operating room. Once the pannus is lifted, the surgical procedure continues.
After delivery of the baby, the incision is closed. Unfortunately, the pannus is left to hang back over the incision.
The hanging of the pannus over the incision provides a warm, moist area where the bacteria thrive, and proper
healing is more difficult. Hence The Pannus Adapter is innovative in that it will provide proper sterile technical
support that is worn by the patient and not attached to an IV pole in some archaic fashion. Not only is it de-
signed to be worn prior to a surgical procedure, such as a cesarean section, but also after it during the recovery
period for proper wound healing. It also appreciates that while a cesarean section is described herein as being
Paige L Long Sharps, Res Rep Gynaecol Obstet 2019, Volume 3 | DOI: 10.4066/2591-7366-C2-005