Abdominal dermolipectomy in laparotomy with stoma surgery: case report.

In cases of morbid obesity, excessive soft tissue in the abdomen forms an apron-like deformity called panniculus because of rapid weight loss due to cancer. In laparotomy with stoma aimed at cancer resection, obesity is reported as a major risk factor of stoma complications, one of the most frequent of which is necrosis. In one patient in whom a laparotomy was performed through a midline incision, the authors also carried out an abdominal dermolipectomy aimed at reducing distortion of the abdominal wall in relation to the stoma. This procedure provided two important advantages for stoma surgery, stability, and better postoperative care by the patient.