Laparoscopic Repair of Diastasis Recti? (photo)

Question

I'm a 70-year-old man with diastasis recti. I'm interested in having it repaired but would need the surgery to be minimally invasive, as I'm anemic (due to myelodysplastic syndrome) and have had a splenectomy (last year, due to complications from the MDS, which has since been well controlled). I'm fit and thin and, as you can see in the photos, have no excess skin. Would laparoscopic repair be appropriate/advisable? Are their any doctors in the NYC area who have experience with this?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Diastasis would be unusual. I would be concerned that there is a hernia that is present as well. At any rate, open repair would be effective and could take care of loose skin. Kenneth Hughes, MD male tummy tuck Los Angeles, CA

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

Unfortunately you do not seem to be a good candidate for surgery.  Just because the surgery is "minimally invasive" does not mean that you will not need to be under anesthesia for any shorter of time.  In fact, you may require longer than the traditional "open" operation.  Also, while it may appear that you do not have excess skin, after the skin is elevated and the muscles tightened in the midline, you will have a considerable about of excess skin.  I would suggest that you meet with some doctors for a consultation, but please be open to the idea that you may not be a good candidate for the surgery.

	 

	Good Luck.

Joseph A. Russo, MD · Answer

Not a candidate for minimally invasive surgery. Need full length incision, repair, and mesh to reinforce the repair

David L. Cangello, MD, FACS · Answer

Given your medical condition, and body habitus, I don't feel you would be a candidate for a laparoscopic rectus diastasis repair. It is difficult to tell whether your bulge is solely from rectus diastasis without examining you in person. In any event, if you did have a diastasis repair, creating a flat abdomen would surely leave you with a significant excess of skin that would have to be excised as part of a traditional abdominoplasty procedure.

	I would recommend seeing a surgeon in consultation so that a full medical history can be taken and you can be properly examined. Then your questions can be properly addressed.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

Neither appropriate nor advisable.

	Even if the procedure were risk free, bringing together the edges of the rectus muscles would cause buckling of what is certainly a lot of horizontal akin excess, resulting in an unttractive collection of abdominal skin in the midline. 

	Furthermore, I am not sure how certain you may be that this is mere diastasis. I would expect the possibility of a hernia given the appearance in the photo (was your splenectomy incision in the midline?) and a complicating factor of excess intra-abdominal contents. 

	Saying this, a single photo and little other info is not much to go on, so my best advise would be to seek an in person consultation. When you ready for an in person consultation, RealSelf has listings of surgeons in your area. You should consider cross referencing the listings from the The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (plasticsurgery dot org). A listing in the ASPS website assures you that your surgeon is not only board certified,  but also is a member in good standing of the major plastic surgery organization in the U. S. Thank you for your question, best wishes.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Actually you have a substantial amount of excess skin once the abdomen were made flat by a diastasis repair because it is draping over the large curve right now. Plus it is not possible to say without examening you but you probably have much intraabdominal fat and overall don't look like a good candidate for anything at this time especially at 70. Please seek advice in person though from double board certified (Plastic and general surgery) surgeons.

Laparoscopic Repair of Diastasis Recti? (photo)

Answers (6)