5'6, 138lbs & diastasis recti - is a full tummy tuck still the best option? (Photos)

If there is hanging skin and muscle laxity below the waistline then the best procedure is a tummy tuck. Most women who have had twins typically have laxity in the muscle or diastasis recti that can remain, even after proper diet and exercise. There are different styles of tummy tucks depending on the skin laxity present. It is best to visit a board-certified plastic surgeon and see which procedure will adequately address your concerns.

Thank you for your questions and photos. A tummy tuck will address excess skin & repair of the abdominal muscle. The abdominal wall can be weakened after pregnancy and (or) significant weight gain & loss. By repairing the muscle, not only does the appearance of your abdominal area improve, but your core strength as well. The repair of the muscle will cinch your waist like an inner corset, which will accentuate your curves. Liposuction will remove excess fat from unwanted areas with some skin retraction. Your expectations and health will dictate the best procedure(s) for you. I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals. Best of luck!

Dhaval Patel MD
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Chicago
South Barrington
Oakbrook
Orland Park

Thank you for your question regarding whether a full tummy tuck is the best option for someone with rectus diastasis. Thank you for your history and your pictures. Tummy tucks address three areas: abdominal skin, abdominal fat, and the rectus muscle. Deformity in any one of these may make you a good candidate for a tummy tuck. The only way to fix the rectus diastasis is with permanent sutures. Therefore, the only way to access the rectus diastasis muscle is with a tummy tuck incision. This is placed low in the pubic region. Some patients only require rectus diastasis repair. Most patients require rectus diastasis repair and the elimination of some skin and fat. Even though you don't have tons and tons of extra skin, you will probably have some excess skin due to your history and after the muscle plication. Therefore, I would do the full tummy tuck because you would benefit from rectus diastasis repair and removal of some excess skin and fat. I hope I've answered your question regarding rectus diastasis and if you need a full tummy tuck.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katzen

Thank you for the question. Without seeing your entire abdomen (especially lower), it is difficult to see if you are an abdominoplasty candidate or not. In my practice I do not repair diastasis alone without a tummy tuck but I do include the repair in your tummy tuck price quote. Good luck on your abdominoplasty journey.

Thank you for your question! When it comes to correcting diastasis recti, a full tummy tuck is often the best option. In order to effectively tighten the muscles back together, we (surgeon) need access to the entire abdominal wall, which a full tummy tuck allows.

Thank you for your question and photos! The only way to repair a diastasis rectus is to do a tummy tuck. Even if you are only removing a small amount of skin, you still need to open the tummy up to do a full repair the muscles. It is always best to visit a board plastic surgeon for an in-person consult. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question. Keep in mind a full tummy tuck allows your surgeon to address all the layers of the abdominal wall. While your weight looks like it’s in a good range you do have some of the characteristics of skin laxity that include a hooding of your belly button, some of the wrinkly that I can see around your waist line, which I believe most likely also represents a certain degree of pubic area droopiness. It’s hard to tell if you have a Daya stasis, but that is a critical component of what should be repaired during a tummy tuck. I have a number of patients that I was first look look quite thin but then when you look at their before, and after she can really appreciate how much skin was removed and how much more athletic there abdominal wall now looks. You can look under some of my realself posted photos and see what I’m talking about. Good luck on your body contouring journey. I think you should be able to get an outstanding result. you can look under some of my real self posted photos and see what I’m talking about. Good luck on your body contouring journey. I think you should be able to get a outstanding result.

Dear Gregarious436047,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a TT. Full tummy tuck should tighten your abdominal muscles and remove the excess skin. Flanks liposuction would give you a better shape. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

A tummy tuck is the best option for diastasis repair. Even with minimal excess skin, a tummy tuck will give you the best result. When the muscle is repaired, puckered and loose skin will be flattened and tightened.

Based on the photos provided, it is difficult to determine how much excess skin you have. However, most patients who have had pregnancies will need a full tummy tuck. Because a mini tummy tuck only addresses the area below the navel, I recommend a full tummy tuck for patients with diastasis recti. This will allow tightening of the muscles above and below the navel, for a more natural result.