My Rectus Diastasis is Wide and Dr. is Concerned the Stitches Won't Hold, Should I be Concerned? (photo)

Plastic surgeon concerned about the stitches holding it together. What are the chances of internal stitches not holding? Is there a way to triple stitch it or something to make sure it stays put? If it does not stay am I responsible for paying for this failed tummy tuck? Is there a way to reinforce it? I have a small umbilical hernia too but the General Surgeon would stitch it vs. using mesh. I might lose my belly button too...assuming he'd create a new one for me right? I had 2 babies csect

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7 Doctor Answers | Asked by abnornaltummy in upstateny

Doctor Answers (7)
Community Comments (1)

Diastasis treatment with Mesh Reinforcement

Most likely pregnancies or weight gain has damaged your fascia and now you have a protruding abdomen and an umiblical hernia. The best repair technique is an abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement. A large piece of mesh is sewn from side to side to eliminate reoccurrences. There have been articles published on abdominoplasty with mesh reinforcement recently in the Plastic and Reconstructive Journal and you are an excellent candidate for this technique. Best... more

Abdominoplasty with diastasis repair

Many patients present with wide diastases after Caesarean sections and the experienced plastic surgeon is accustomed to dealing with this problem. I am concerned that you are already characterizing a tummy tuck yet to occur as "failed". I agree with Dr. Tehrani that I do not involve a general surgeon; most board certified plastic surgeons of my generation are fully trained in general surgery and a hernia is a basic procedure which we are competent to address during the... more

Abdominoplasty and diastasis recti / hernia repair

Thank you for posting appropriate pictures. You do seem to have rectus fascial diastasis as well as an umbilical hernia. Most plastic surgeons with expertise in this area will not find recurrence an issue and will address the umbilical hernia at the same time. In my practice, I involve general surgeons only if there is a complicating incarceration involving bowel. Otherwise a proper plication with permanent sutures as well as a hernia repair without mesh will likely work for you. At times I... more

Wide diastasis rectus

Thanks for the great photos, it helps. You have a significant diastasis, but I believe an experienced plastic surgeon can repair this without a high rate of recurrence. I reccomend patients like yourself to wear an abdominal binder for one month before surgery to help your abdominal wall to get used to pushing the intestines back inwards. In terms of your hernia, it can be repaired at the same time safely and you are correct your own belly button may be lost if its blood... more

Does fascial repair always work?

Some people develop abdominal bulge as in your photo because the rectus muscles have pulled apart, but for many patients, the entire abdominal wall fascia is weak. If this is the case, simply pulling your muscles together in the center with a row of stitches will not succeed in correcting the problem, and instead the entire abdomnal wall fascia needs to be assessed during surgery to decide which areas need tightening. It is also true that some people have fascia that is so... more

Odds are with you, diastasis repair will hold up

Though your abdomen is very lax, you are not unlike many other patients looking into a tummy tuck. The diastasis repair can be done with a permanent suture in a double layer and we find it to be very durable. The umbilical hernia repair can be tricky, and we prefer to complete the repair without a general surgeon as the circulation to the belly button can be in jepardy and no one will care as much as a plastic surgeon. Making a new one is second best.

Repair of Diastasis Recti and Umbilical Hernia Concerns…

Thank you for the question and pictures. Assuming you have chosen your plastic surgeon carefully ( make sure that he has significant experience and can demonstrate this experience to you via pictures…), the odds of a successful repair of the diastasis recti are in your favor. In other words, recurrence of the diastasis recti should be an unusual complication. Many plastic surgeons use a “2 layer” repair technique. Whether or not the umbilical hernia... more

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Comments (1)

abnornaltummy 21 Aug 2012

Thank you so much. His work/pictures look awesome...these are follow up questions I am still waiting on so I will be sure to clarify with him as well. Do you think my stomach is very abnormal/ uncommon...it seems worse than any of the mommy stomach before pictures I see (ie, very large)

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