Tummy Tuck Can Restore Your Core After Diastasis Recti

Many women struggle with abdominal muscle separation after pregnancy and childbirth. This common concern is called diastasis recti and happens when the abdominal muscles stretch, weaken, and separate to accommodate a growing belly, leaving women with a protruding pooch. However, this is not just a new mother’s issue. Men and women may develop diastasis recti from improper exercise techniques or from being overweight or obese. Tummy tuck surgery with our board-certified plastic surgeon can correct diastasis recti and restore your core strength.

While some cases of abdominal muscle separation improve over time, it’s more common for the condition to worsen, causing low back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, bloating, poor posture, and constipation. Exercise does little to improve diastasis recti, and certain ab movements can cause more separation. Surgical correction during  tightens the abdominal muscles and addresses other concerns, such as excess fat and loose skin.

How Tummy Tuck Improves Diastasis Recti

Tummy tuck is one of the most popular plastic surgeries and helps men and women address several issues at once. Dr. Stephen M. Miller makes a horizontal incision above the public hairline and may utilize a cesarean scar for women who have had c-section births. He then lifts the skin to access the weakened abdominal muscles for repair, tightening and repositioning the tissues for a smoother contour. A second incision is made around the belly button to remove loose skin from the upper abdominal region. Dr. Miller pulls the skin tissue down, trims away the excess, and fashions a new navel opening. Patients enjoy a flatter, firmer abdominal contour and may experience improvement in diastasis-recti-related issues.

Depending on the extent of your abdominal muscle separation, Dr. Miller may use non-absorbable sutures to hold together the abdominal muscles and fascia tissue connecting the abs and encourage scar tissue development. Non-absorbable sutures are permanent but are undetectable through the skin and prevent the reoccurrence of diastasis recti. Absorbable sutures are another option, but there is some risk of muscle separation returning.

Tummy tuck surgery can also address umbilical hernias, which happen when abdominal pressure pushes the stomach contents through the thin fascia and causes the belly button to pop out. Abdominoplasty restores an inward navel.

A 2020 review published in Cureus evaluated the efficacy of rectus diastasis repair for abdominal strength and function during tummy tuck surgery and found that the procedure can improve the abdominal form and function.

If you struggle with abdominal muscle separation, schedule a consultation with Dr. Miller in Las Vegas, Nevada. Contact our office at (702) 369-1001 or fill out our online contact form.