Diastasis Recti Repair: Mini Tummy Tuck

After having twins in 2017, I was left with a pretty decent gap in my abdomen that wouldn’t close no matter how long I diligently followed the Tuppler Technique program. I’m really into health and fitness, so losing the baby weight took about 6 or 7 months, but no matter how fit I looked in the morning, by about 3pm I looked 4 or 5 months pregnant. (see photos attached.) I would wake up with a flat stomach and go to bed with an embarrassing mommy belly. Every. Single. Day. You can imagine how frustrating this can be when you’ve worked so hard to look your best but your diastasis recti makes it impossible to go out at night without wearing spanx under everything and STILL not looking fit. I spent hours researching diastasis recti and the more I read the more I knew surgery was the only option for me.

A tummy tuck is the typical solution for this condition, but since I was already fit I didn’t see a huge need for the liposuction. And I didn’t want tighter skin at the expense of an enormous hip to hip scar for the rest of my life. (My skin was surprisingly not that loose unless I bent over, and that was something I was willing to live with.) So when I met with Dr. Gingrass at the Plastic Surgery Center of Nashville she suggested a mini tummy tuck. She could go in through my c-section scar and repair the abdomen. She would be able to tighten some of the skin, but not much, and still end up just a few centimeters longer than my initial c-section scar on each side.
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Because I opted out of some of the more aggressive portions of a full tummy tuck surgery, recovery was very similar to having a c-section. I was up and around the next day with very little pain just mild discomfort (as long as I stayed ahead of my pain meds). Within a few days I was off pain medication and felt really good. The most difficult part about recovery was not being able to lift my kids for a few weeks (heartbreaking when they are begging to be held - the twins had just barely turned one when I had my surgery), and I had to really tone down my workout routine for about 6 months. I had spent way too much money and time trying to fix my problem, so I wasn’t about to undo everything by pushing too hard too fast.
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Overall, I’m very pleased with my experience. Dr. Gingrass was a true professional and left me with a really flat and light scar. The nurses were incredible. The facility is beautiful. My results were fantastic.