Tummy Tuck Q&A

94%

WORTH IT RATING

2,299 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Tummy Tuck Cost: $7,925

Learn about Tummy Tuck

7,723 people and 861 doctors are talking about Tummy Tuck

Get Free Email Updates

What Are My Options? I'm A Fit, Thin Woman With Rectus Diastisis And Umbilical Hernia (photo)

asked 6 months ago by mcpaemoller in Vancouver, BC
Latest answer by J. Jason Wendel, MD
Question viewed 1,350 times
Tags: athletic, choosing a surgeon, diastasis recti, options, umbilical hernia

I Am 5'4 1/2 " Tall, 108lbs. I Have Had Two Children (5 and 1). I Have a Full Rectus Diastisis from Sternum to Pubis with the widest part at the umbilicus (atleast 3 fingers width). The abdominal muscles are no longer flat. I have an epigastric and an umbilical hernai (according to a general surgeon). I also have some extra skin when I bend over. Which surgery is best for me? How do I find a plastic surgeon in my area that has done the most abdominoplasties on fit, active, thin women with rectus diastisis and umbilical/ventral hernia and minimal extra skin after two pregnancies?

17 answers to What Are My Options? I'm A Fit, Thin Woman With Rectus Diastisis And Umbilical Hernia (photo)

Mini Tummy Tuck on an athletic patient

In general , a thin fit patient with excessive lower abdominal skin and rectus diastasis would benefit from a mini tummy tuck through which the rectus diastasis and umbilical hernia are treated simultaneously. Quite a few patients have similar concerns. see video

Ali Adibfar, MD, DDS
Toronto Plastic Surgeon

Thin, fit but diastasis recti and umbilical hernia

Thank you for your question and pictures. You are one of a small number of individuals who appears to be an excellent candidate for an endoscopic tummy tuck. The endoscope allows the diastasis recti to be fixed through a belly button incision and a small cresent of skin can be removed from the lower tummy similar to a mini-tummy tuck. The umbilical hernia can also be fixed at the same time through the belly button incision. You would likely get an excellent result with a... more

J. Jason Wendel, MD
Nashville Plastic Surgeon

Abdominoplasty on thin women

Hi there- I would agree with Dr. Johnson, and have had great success with this technique- Low transverse scar (very inconspicuous), complete exposure and muscle repair from ribs to pubis, with umbilical float. Good luck!

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

What Are My Options? I'm A Fit, Thin Woman With Rectus Diastisis And Umbilical Hernia

While you are not the typical abdominoplasty candidate you are by no means rare. Here in Vancouver we see many fit, trim women who present with unavoidable changes after childbearing. You would require repair of the hernias, rectus diastasis repair as well as removal of the excess skin. It is difficult to tell from your photos alone whether you would be a candidate for a modified procedure or whether a full abdominoplasty would be appropriate. This decision would be based on... more

Eric Pugash, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.vancouvercosmeticsurgery.ca

Tummy tuck with diastasis and hernia

Though a thorough examination would be needed, it appears from your photos that a full tummy tuck would be the procedure of choice for you. The diastasis and hernias are common issues that can be addressed concurrently with the latter often repaired by a general surgeon. Most plastic surgeons have performed numerous tummy tucks as you have described. There is never any guarantee with regard to results or the results from a given plastic surgeon. You should seek one or more... more

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

Is there a one size fits all tummy tuck?

Your best option depends on your goals. A standard abdominoplasty gets your tummy flatter and your skin envelope tighter. An endoscopic abdominoplasty could correct your abdominal wall laxity and repair your umbilical hernia, but not tighten your skin envelope. A consultation with a board certified Plastic Surgeon to examine you and discuss your goals is your best bet.

Craig Harrison, MD
Tyler Plastic Surgeon

Mini tummy tuck with floating the belly button

Your are in excellent shape and extra skin over the abdomen will improve any more with exercise as you have noticed. I would offer mini tuck. This will include repair of the diastesis ,repair of the umbilical hernia ,lowering belly button to new position( to tighten the skin above the belly button) and remove excess skin in lower abdomen. There will be no incision around belly button. Please check my web site for examples similar to yours.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Fit woman with muscle separation and hernias of the abdomen. Options?

Thank you for the photos. You are not the typical abdominoplasty patient seen by most plastic surgeons. Your problem is straightforward: need an abdominiplasty with muscle plication and repair of hernias. You do not need liposuction or other procedures which might increase the potential complication rate. As most plastic surgeons have a general surgery background (including myself), repair of the hernias can be done at the time of the abdominoplasty. You do not need a general surgeon... more

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Repair of hernia and abdominoplasty

I would recommend a tummy tuck with correction of the diastases. Everyone has excess skin when they bend over but I do see the bulge in the midline and a tummy tuck, even though you don't have much excess skin, would improve your abdomen.

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Tummy tuck for what exercise can't do

You have figured out that exercise doesn't correct the diastasis, and it won't tighten loose skin. A tummy tuck is usually the best option in those cases, and any board-certified plastic surgeon should be able to give you a nice result. Usually best to see more than one before deciding.

Richard Baxter, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Minitummy tuck

Hi I think the best option for your case is the miniabdominoplasty, where all your issues can be addressed. You are an ideal patient for such procedures, a small lower abdoimnal incision to help resect all extra skin laxity in the abdomin and, tighten the muscles and repair the recti muscles diastasis. with liposuction for the flanks. I would recommend some work out ( mainly abs) before any procedure to strengthen your muscles and to sculpture your body, so you would get... more

Fatema S. Alsubhi, MD, SSC-plast
UAE Plastic Surgeon

Respectfully disagree...

I'm not sure you do need a tummy tuck. You can have the diastasis repaired without skin excision and from your photos, I'm not sure you have much skin to excise. The type of repair of your rectus would really depend on the degree of laxity. If it were severe we might need to interpose a piece of allograft or xenograft and consider a component separation to mobilize healthy strong tissue to the midline.

Robert Frank, MD
Munster Plastic Surgeon

Diastasis without skin laxity

The issue of a diastasis without skin laxity is a not uncommon one. Often it is hard to find a plastic surgeon who can see to a repair without tummy tuck, though a good approach is through a short low transverse incision much like a C-section, with exposure of the muscle from chest to pubis. The umbilicus stays with the skin, and is reattached right where it started after the repair is complete. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

My Options? I'm A Fit, Thin Woman With Rectus Diastisis And Umbilical Hernia

The operation to repair a diastasis recti as well as to remove excess skin is a tummy tuck. Repair of the diastasis in you would require release of the belly button so that the surgeon can access the entire abdominal wall fascia from the bottom of the ribcage to the pubic bone for repair. At the same time, this provides excellent access for repair of your umbilical and ventral hernias. I work with a general surgeon who repairs the hernias after I provide the exposure, and then I... more

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tucks for Thin, Athletic Women

It's always hard to know exactly what your options would be without an examination, but based on what you're saying I think a tummy tuck would be an excellent option, the goals of which would be to repair the rectus diastasis, repair the hernias and remove excess skin. In terms of picking a surgeon, most of us operate on a wide variety of patient body types, so I would recommend checking out the photo galleries of a few surgeons in your area to get a sense of the results they... more

Shahram Salemy, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

www.drsalemy.com

Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question in pictures. Based on your pictures and your description I think you will be an excellent candidate for a full tummy tuck procedure. This procedure will allow removal of the excess skin and subcutaneous tissues, repair of the diastasis recti, and repair of the abdominal wall hernias. In regards to selecting a surgeon, unfortunately there is no good way to do this besides doing your own due diligence. I would start off by making sure your surgeon... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.poustiplasticsurgery.com

Rectus diastasis and tummy tucks

It is always a challenge to give advice without an exam. From the photos, it does look like you would be a good candidate for eithe a modified or a full adominoplasty depending on your skin laxity. Patients with a severe rectus diastasis frequently also have umbilical (belly button) hernias. One of the more important aspects of a tummy tuck is the plication or tightening of the rectus fascia (connective tissue covering the abdominal muscles) with permanent... more