Would hernia surgery + diastasis repair give the results I am looking for or do I need a tummy tuck and/or liposuction? (Photos)

Question

Hi! I am a 38 year old female (5'7" 125lbs) looking to contour my abdomen. I have had 3 full-term pregnancies. I exercise regularly. I have an umbilical hernia. Would hernia surgery + diastasis repair (covered by insurance) give me the results I am looking for or do I need more like a tummy tuck and/or liposuction. While I am at a healthy weight, my abdomen just seems puffy all the time. My youngest child is 4, and I recently had a breast augmentation (230cc) to restore volume lost after breastfeeding.

Warren Schutte, MD · Answer

Some plastic surgeons will repair hernias at the same time as a tummy tuck with diastasis repair. Others will have you get the hernia repaired first (or sometimes they can work together in the OR). I cannot see from the photos if you have enough skin laxity to warrant an abdominoplasty. Your aesthetics are overall very nice. A diastasis repair will help correct some abdominal protuberance.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Liposuction will not solve your problem. I recommend doing a tummy tuck with mesh reinforcement. The mesh will resolve your umbilical hernia, take care of the diastasis recti and give you a flattened contour to your abdomen.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Kadir Berat Oyur, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.
Based on your description, you could be suitable for liposuction combined with J-Plasma, which can help reduce localized fat and improve skin tightening for a smoother abdominal contour.
A detailed evaluation would help confirm the most appropriate approach for your goals.

Mehmet Ozdemir, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.
From what you’ve described, liposuction with J‑Plasma may be a suitable option to reduce localized fat and tighten the skin, helping achieve a smoother abdominal contour.
A detailed evaluation would help confirm the best approach to meet your goals.

Jacob Carlson, MD · Answer

You already have a very athletic build, so doing the umbilical hernia repair and diastasis repair alone will give you a very nice result. You don't have a lot of excess subcutaneous tissue to liposuction, so the yield on that would be fairly minimal. The only thing I would recommend considering as an aesthetic add-on would be a mini abdominoplasty. That would remove some of the skin along the bikini line that may be present after repairing the diastasis. Depending on your skin laxity, you might not need the mini tummy tuck, but if someone came to me as asked how to get the best possible aesthetic results in your case, that would be my only suggestion.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Repair of diastasis requires having a full tummy tuck.
There’s really no other way to get exposure to the muscle separation.
I suggest you have a few in person consultations with plastic surgeons in your community to get a better understanding of the procedure and a good assessment.
You don’t have a lot of subcutaneous fat, so Liposuction isn’t going to be very important in your case.
You can definitely do the hernia repair in conjunction with the tummy tuck.
In many ways, the tummy tuck will fix the umbilical hernia by simply doing the diastasis repair.
It’s possible to get medical insurance to pay for part of the procedure if it’s combined with a medically approved operation like a hernia repair.
Each surgeon and facility will have their own way of doing this.
I suggest consulting with a few surgeons to help you get a better understanding and find the right provider.
Provider selection is the most important variable so I suggest you focus your efforts on that.
Finding the right plastic surgeon turns out to be more difficult than most people realize.
Most people do not have a lot of experience or know how the vet providers.
Having multiple consultations will get you better at the process and will increase your chances of finding the best provider for your needs which correlates to having a quality outcome.
I recommend you schedule in person consultations, and avoid virtual consultations.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Would hernia surgery + diastasis repair give the results I am looking for or do I need a tummy tuck and/or liposuction? (Photos)

Answers (6)

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