Will exercise fix a 3cm diastasis recti gap or will it require surgery? (photos)

Thank you for your question!  Congrats on your progress!  It never hurts to continue doing diastasis recti safe exercises to help strengthen the accessory muscles.  It can help with post surgery recovery as well.  However, there does come a point where no matter how much diet and exercise is being done, the separation that exists between the muscles may not improve.    Surgery is the most sustainable option with regards to long term treatment for diastasis recti.  Once the connective tissue that holds the right and left abdominal muscles together gets stretched and thinned out, it will remain that way.  The accessory muscles can only compensate so much.  My best recommendation is to seek out a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who is highly skilled in diastasis recti repair.  If you qualify for a tummy tuck it will address the muscle separation. 

The short answer is- you're wasting your time. The gold standard to correcting a diastasis recti is a muscle plication. This is performed with permanent sutures, and corrected with a minimum of two layers in my practice. The results are immediate, and permanent. Best, Dr. Satey.

Diastis is difficult to repair without surgery.  It is really putting the abdominal muscles back where they belong, which tend to pull apart with pregnancy.  Traditional abdominal exercises using the rectus muscle can make it worse.  I would encourage you to consider surgical repair as the muscle functions properly after this.

This is a common problem, often seen after one or more pregnancies, and frequently addressed by plastic surgeons at the time of a tummy tuck.  During a physical examination at the time of consultation, a surgeon will typically assess for diastasis recti as well as hernias and other conditions.  Since the diastasis represents a separation of the connective tissue between the two rectus muscles that run vertically up and down the tummy area, exercise that strengthens the muscles will not have a significant effect on the connective tissue that is weakened and contains no muscle in it.  If you are troubled by the appearance enough, a surgical correction should have a very high probability of fixing the problem once and for all.  Good luck!
Dr. Saul Berger / Los Angeles, California

Thanks for your question!  I'm not sure of the factors influencing your diastasis- many women develop diastasis during pregnancy or after weight loss, whereas sometimes it's genetic- and there are exercises that may help lessen the severity depending on the etiology.  In general, although you can tight the abdominal wall musculature, the fascia that encircle them have also been stretched and have less elastic properties.  I would recommend a diastasis repair- which can be done at the same time as an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).  Based on your photo I think that you would be a great candidate for this procedure.  Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thank you for your question and photo.
Diastasis recti is not uncommon following pregnancy, as the fetus functions as an internal tissue expander, stretching all layers of the abdominal wall. Generally, while exercise may strengthen the muscles, it will not restore them to their pre-pregnancy position. Surgery is commonly indicated.
Best wishes!