Is muscle repair still needed with a Tummy Tuck if I haven't had children?

If the rectus muscles have separated from either pregnancy (most common cause) or weight gain, then a repair as part of the tummy tuck will give a better result. The only way to know is with an exam, but with no prior pregnancy you are less likely to need it.

Muscle repair is needed when the abdominal muscles are separated. It is called Rectus Diastasis. It can happen from pregnancy, obesity, and in some cases it is from birth. For example, I have Rectus Diastasis and I was never pregnant, nor was I ever obese.To tell if you could benefit from repair of Rectus Diastasis watch the video below.

Thank you for the question. Ultimately, you will need to do your due diligence and select your plastic surgeon carefully. Then, after this careful selection, you will be best off going with his/her judgment. Generally speaking, the vast majority of patients who present for tummy tuck surgery benefit from muscle plication; as you know, this part of the tummy tuck procedure serves to re-approximate the muscles that have spread during pregnancy or weight gain/loss. Omitting this part of the procedure will potentially leave patients with continued abdominal wall laxity and, in my opinion, a less than optimal result. If you remain in doubt, seek additional consultations with well experienced board certified plastic surgeons who can demonstrate significant experience helping patients achieve the types of outcomes you would be pleased with.Best wishes.

A physical exam will let me know if you need muscle plication. If you do, we use a local anesthesia post op that gives you three days of pain relief. So don't worry .

Thank you for the question.If a tummy tuck is the procedure diagnosed to be the best one for your case, it will include abdominal muscle repair. This really depends on how much skin laxity you might have when your PS gives you the evaluation.Dr. Campos

Rectus plication (muscle repair) is not always needed with abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) especially if you have not had children. Some women still have laxity in the abdominal wall even if they have never been pregnant. This could be hereditary or congenital or due to massive weight loss. These patients still benefit from tightening of the abdominal wall with the skin removal that involves a tummy tuck.

Separation of the abdominal muscles is called diastasis recti and can lead to unsightly bulging of the abdomen.  Repair at abdominoplasty can improve the bulge but is often associated with pain. This condition is more likely to occur following child birth but may occur for other reason in both men and women.   A physical examination is necessary to determine whether muscle repair should be performed with abdominoplasty. 

Muscle repair is only needed if there is laxity in the abdominal wall, or the muscle/fascia layer. This layer is usually stretched out in pregnancy, but sometimes gets stretched out just by weight gain alone. Your PS can check to test this layer by lying you down and have you do a small sit-up. Your muscular wall, if normal, flattens and pulls in. If the wall is stretched out or there is a rectus diastasis (split muscle), your abdomen will bulge when you do a small sit up.

The only way to determine whether you need the muscles repaired would be by a physical examination by a board certified plastic surgeon.  Not everyone does but it is true that you could have a diastasis despite not having had children.  Every abdominoplasty is a unique situation.

I agree. The key to answering your question will be based on your examination by your board certified PS.  If you have a diastasis then you would likely benefit from a plication. If there is no diastasis but your muscle wall seems loose you may still have an improvement in your result with plication sutures. Good luck.Gaurav