Prominent, Rock Hard Belly - Diastasis Recti? (Male)

My husband has a very prominent belly and really HATES it. He has had an ultrasound which stated "Diverification of recti in upper abdomen superior to umbilicus extending to the level of ziphoid, approx 21mm". Though there is this seperation, surely it cant be just this that is causing such a large, rock hard belly. He has minimal fat on the belly & would like to know if there is anything else he should look into, as he feels that a tummy tuck alone wont flatten it. (His dad is the same)

Tags:

belly diastasis recti

Comment on this

6 Doctor Answers | Asked by Renee1979 in Brisbane

Doctor Answers (6)
Community Comments (0)

Rock hard abs

Unfortunately in men a rock hard abdomen is more often caused by fat inside the abdomen pushing out than from 1000 sit ups. Men and women put fat in different places. Women tend to put their excess on hips and thighs, or the external fat layer of the abdomen. Men place it in the love handles and inside the abdomen around the organs. His muscle separation is only about 3/4 of an inch and wouldn't tighten noticeably

Prominent male belly

It is likely that your husband's fat is inside the abdominal cavity, as is common in men, and not just under the skin. If that is the case, his best option is to loose weight with a combination of diet and exercise. A tummy tuck is unlikely to make a significant difference.

Abdominoplasty won't fix this man's problem.

There is an excess of intraabdominal fat. This cannot be removed by suction and abdominoplasty would make very minimal improvement with significant risk of complication. Weight loss is the sensible way to deal with this specific problem.

Tummy Tuck Candidate?

Thank you for the question and pictures. I think it would be in your husband's best interest to be seen by a well experienced board certified plastic surgeon. Simple physical examination will be enough to determine if your husband is a good candidate for any type of surgery. For example, if the “pinch test” demonstrates significant subcutaneous adipose tissue, he may be a good candidate for liposuction surgery. If, on the other hand, he has significant abdominal... more

Diet and Exercise

Diet, exercise, and weight loss are the keys to helping your husband feel better about himself. I would not recommend surgery. Best of luck!

Omental fat in men

What your husband has is intra-abdominal fat ("beer belly") caused by excess aft in the omentum and mesentery. There is no surgical solution for this, only diet exercies and weight loss.