What is the difference between diastasis recto repair and a tummy tuck?

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  A diastasis repair is a typical component of a full tummy tuck that address muscle laxity and any hernia presence alone.  A tummy tuck involves work on the stomach muscles as well as the skin and fat present above the muscles.  A DR repair will not lead to the same appearance as a tummy tuck, especially if done laparoscopically.

Dear healingdrmama,
muscle repair is part of the tummy tuck and it is used to repair diastasis recti. In case of tummy tuck, in addition to muscle repair, loose skin and fat will be removed. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD

Hello,
Thank you for your question.  Diastasis recti repair addresses the anterior abdominal muscles that have relaxed and separated. A full tummy tuck works to address not only the separated stomach muscles, but excess skin and fatty tissue as well. The procedure repairs weakened abdominal muscles while also removing excessive skin/fat through tightening, surgical removal and, often, liposuction. Patients frequently lose a number of inches from their waist size as well. Diastasis repair alone will not give you the same result as a tummy tuck if you are looking to also address the presence of loose skin and fatty tissue.
I'd recommend speaking with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to determine what would be best suited for you.
All the best.

Diastasis recti is the separation between the two vertical muscles of the abdomen (Rectus Abdominis). Diastasis is usually the result of pregnancy. It can produce discomfort especially when exercising but does not really pose any real health threat. Because it is not a health risk, most insurance companies do not consider it to be mediclly necessary and is not covered under most plans. A hernia is distinctly different. A hernia is basically  hole in the wall of your abdomen. Intestine and other intra-abdominal contents can get caught in the hole and become a medical emergency. It is better to get hernias fixed before they become an emergency. Beause hernias can cause such problems the repair is considered medically necessary and is covered by nearly all insurance plans. During a tummy tuck the muscles are usually tightened which can reinforce the repair of both diastasis and hernias. Tummy tucks also remove extra skin. But tummy tucks are not generally covered. You should not expect the results of a tummy tuck when getting repair of a diastasis or hernia alone.

A diastasis repair only addresses the abdominal muscles and is only a part of the tummy tuck. A DR will not remove excess skin and fat, so the results will not be optimal. Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who will explain all of your options to you. Good luck.

A TT will fix the appearance of the abdomen by removing extra skin and fat.  The diastasis repair component of the TT will fix the muscles by reconnecting the separated sides of the abdomen in order to create a tighter abdominal area. Diastasis recti repair is considered an elective, cosmetic procedure and therefore usually not covered by insurance.  So few people benefit from only diastasis correction alone.

Hello
and thank you for your question.  A diastasis repair is typically a component of a tummy tuck.  A diastasis is separation of the abdominal wall muscles (your "sixpack" muscles), and this is routinely repaired in a tummy tuck when the abdominal muscles are "plicated" (or tightened) to eliminate this separation. The other two main components of a tummy tuck are removal of the excess skin/fat and creation of a new belly button -- I typically place a small umbilical
incision that is not externally visible (to give you an
"innie" belly button), and a short, low waistline incision designed to be easily hidden by your underwear or bikini.  I'm impressed that your insurance will cover your diastasis repair -- this is not often the case.  Insurance typically will not cover the surgical removal of the excess skin and fat however, and without the removal of this excess skin and fat, you are unlikely to have the same result with a diastasis repair alone as you would with a complete tummy tuck... so please discuss this in detail with your plastic surgeon.  Be sure to seek a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery and be sure he/she addresses all your concerns about a tummy tuck and discusses the surgery details including the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course.  Also, please view
plenty of before-and-after pictures in real women (and not just computer-generated
images) who have a similar abdominal appearance to yours, and preferably
at different time frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to more accurately
predict your own surgical outcome.  And lastly, I think the most important
component of the consultation is to establish a good connection with your
plastic surgeon.  If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your
plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for
you.
For further information on tummy tucks,
please refer to my link below.
Good luck.
Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS
Harvard-trained
Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Hello, The difference is, during Diastasis repair, the surgeon will repair your abdominal wall. Correcting any herniation and suturing the abdominal muscles together so they are tighter and your bowels are not able to squeeze through. This is why your insurance may be willing to cover the diastasis repair. During a tummy tuck, the abdominal wall can be tightened and hernias can be repaired, but the main focus of an abdominoplasty/ tummy tuck is to remove unwanted extra skin and fat. If you are slender with a small "pouch" as may women call it, then you may experience similar results as you will be able to tone your abdomen after you have healed from the repair. If you have more than just a small pouch in your abdominal area, you will not achieve anything near the results that an abdominoplasty can achieve. I recommend consulting with a Board Certified Plastic to go over your options and decided what is right for you. Some surgeons even offer finance plans to their patients. Hope this helps. Best Wishes, Dr. Lane Smith Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Las Vegas, NV 

A tummy tuck can repair the separated abdominal muscles that are causing the diastasis recti as well as tightening and removing the excess skin and fat. A diastasis recti repair by itself will only address the muscle separation and would not give you the cosmetic result of an Hourglass sculpted shape.

During a full tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon can repair the separated abdominal muscle that causes diastasis recti, as well as remove and tighten excess skin. However, if you were to only correct the separated muscle tissue, you would not get the cosmetic effect of excess skin removal and optional fat removal if you were to also include liposuction. This is something you may want to discuss with your insurance company and plastic surgeon to see what portion of your procedure would be covered by insurance and how much, if any, you might be on the hook for.