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