A. Peter Salas, MD

A tummy tuck (AKA abdominoplasty) is often combined with treatment of diastasis rectii. However, the treatment of diastasis rectii is in fact, repair of diastasis rectii.

Repairing a diastasis is not mandatory, but will improve the appearance of the abdomen.

Diastasis rectii does not cause the development of an umbilical hernia.

Furthermore, I am not aware of any studies correlating a diastasis rectii with lower back problems, or problems with stability & core strength.

If you are bothered by your diastasis, then you may consider a repair of the diastasis.

We perform this procedure laparoscopically with very small incisions and use a pain pump after surgery to make the recovery more comfortable.

If you have a significant amount of excess skin, you can undergo a tummy tuck as well to address the skin excess probe.

The recovery time from this procedure is similar to having a hernia repair. The first day is generally the worst followed by rapid improvement over the course of the first three days. Subsequently, there is discomfort when moving around, but not when laying still.

Patients must not do any lifting and must not get constipated during the first 6 weeks after surgery. In our offices we use a compression garment after surgery to prevent fluid accumulation under the skin.

The most important step you can take is picking a qualified, board certified plastic surgeon to examine you and help answer all your questions.

Good luck with your research.

Azzalure is a brand name for a formulation of Botulinum Toxin Type A . The same material that is found in Botox.

In the USA the brand name for Azzalure is Dysport. In other words the active ingredient in Azzalure is exactly the same as Dysport.

Dysport recently received FDA approval for use in the USA. Dysport is available through a company by the name of Medicis. This is the same company that makes Restylane and Perlane.

Even though the dose required to achieve a desired result is different that Botox, Dysport functions in essentially the same way.

Undoubtedly some patients will respond better to Dysport while others will respond better to Botox.

Each manufacturers will most likely claim to have the better product. However, only time will tell if one of the products is superior to the other.

Good luck with your procedure.

After undergoing a Facelift or any surgery, your body undergoes a process of inflammation and healing.

Although the sutures are usually removed in the first week after surgery, the healing process continues for up to 1 year.

All patients having a Facelift develop numbness in the cheeks since the skin of the face is lifted away from the underlying tissues. As a result, the nerves are no longer communicating with the skin. Fortunately, the nerves usually recover fully and the feeling returns to the face.

Hardness and lumpiness are the result of the body's response to the surgical injury. The healing process involves many changes in the tissue that lead to hardness, lumpiness, bruising, and swelling.

This condition improves rapidly within the first few weeks, and then more slowly over the course of several months.

In order to see the result of a true full Facelift, it takes at least 3-6 months.

Rest assured that the numbness and the lumpiness will abate over time.

I hope you found this information helpful.

Good luck with your recovery.

Leaving sutures in place for too long can lead to additional scarring.

Factors determining the timing of suture removal depend on the type of skin closure.

1. If there is individual sutures going across the incision, they usually have to be removed within 5-7 days. Otherwise they can cause residual/permanent marks in the skin after they are removed.

2. If you have a removable sub-cuticular closure (in which case you can only see the suture at the ends of your incision), then they can be removed up to 2 weeks after surgery with no problem.

3. If you have a absorbable sub-cuticular closure (no stitches are visible), then you never have to have the sutures removed and they will go away on their own over a period of several weeks.

The most common approaches are # 2 and #3. However, if performed properly, all approaches can yield a good result.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Good luck with your procedure.

Body-Jet lipo has recently become available in the USA. It seems to be a safe procedure, but there is not a lot of data available yet.

When recommending procedure to my patients, I usually like to see a good track record. This way I will be comfortable with the results and the safety of the procedure.

It is absolutely safe to undergo a surgical procedure such as liposuction under local anesthesia. It is also safe to perform the procedure in a certified operating room. The addition of an anesthesiologist will usually enhance the safety of the procedure.

However, when selecting your surgeon, you must be sure that regardless of where the procedure is performed, your doctor has privileges to perform the same procedure in a hospital. Hospitals know how to verify the credentials of physicians and are not easily deceived.

Good luck with your procedure.