Rectus diastasis surgery in Dortmund at UNIQAESTHETICS®

// Treatments / Body surgery / Rectus diastasis surgery

Rectus diastasis surgery can significantly improve quality of life, especially for women after pregnancy . In order to give your child space during development, the straight abdominal muscles gradually move further apart. In many cases, the resulting muscle gap disappears by itself after the birth. Unfortunately, this does not happen in all cases. It can be counteracted with targeted exercise. However, if the rectus diastasis still does not regress (sufficiently) a few months after delivery, surgery at UNIQAESTHETICS®can solve the problem permanently.

This is particularly true if the muscle gap impairs posture in the trunk area, which can lead to back pain and, in the long term, various secondary complaints. In addition, a bulging abdomen often becomes clearly visible, which can massively affect your well-being and self-esteem. Rectus diastasis surgery is often performed in conjunction with a abdominoplasty and as a combination treatment sometimes also called a “mommy makeover“ as a combination treatment. At UNIQAESTHETICS®, we can help you to achieve a more beautiful, flatter stomach and possibly even minimally invasively reverse the damage caused by pregnancy.

Your attending physician:
Dr. med. Tino Schulz

Qualification:
Certified breast surgeon, specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery

Your attending physician:
Ms. Christina Lemanczyk

Qualification:
Specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery

Your attending physician:
Dr. Aron Babajew

Qualification:
Specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery

Contents

The most important information at a glance

Physical and psychological reasons for surgery

The advantages for you

Treatment methods and materials for rectus diastasis surgery

Minimally invasive surgery

Invasive procedures for significant rectus diastasis

Mommy makeover for an all-round makeover

Rectus diastasis surgery procedure at UNIQAESTHETICS®

Who is eligible for rectus diastasis surgery?

The most frequently asked questions about rectus diastasis surgery

The most important information at a glance

Duration of treatment

At least 2-3 hours

Type of anesthesia

General anesthesia

Stay

1-3 days

Ability to work

after approx. 2-4 weeks, depending on the procedure and professional activity

Sport

Light exercises after 3 weeks at the earliest, normal exercise after 8 weeks

Physical and psychological reasons for an operation

Correcting a rectus diastasis through surgery usually fulfills several purposes, which can be of varying importance to those affected. The first aspect is of a psychological nature. After the stresses and strains of pregnancy, young mothers in particular often long to be able to recognize their body as it once was. The focus is often not even on the ideal of beauty, but on the thought of being able to feel comfortable in their own skin.

But there are also purely aesthetic considerations: The typical bulges, which make a satisfactory figure almost impossible even without being overweight, are particularly unattractive. Rectus diastasis surgery can create the basis for an aesthetic abdominal appearance.

The physiological effects of the muscle gap are also important. The wider it is, the more likely it is that the entire trunk of the body will be weakened. Healthy abdominal muscles make a significant contribution to back health . It is therefore hardly surprising that those affected by rectus diastasis often complain of back problems . Gastrointestinal problems and many other complaints can also be promoted.

An appropriate operation therefore not only corrects the purely aesthetic appearance, but usually also leads to a significant increase in self-esteem and well-being in everyday life. To ensure this, at UNIQAESTHETICS® you have the option of combining various treatments . Our specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery will be happy to advise you.

The advantages for you

Regain your usual body sensation
Improved quality of life
Flatter, natural tummy without a bulge
Prevention or improvement of secondary complaints such as back pain
Detailed advice in advance
Subsequent monitoring, checks
Interventions can be specifically combined
Gentle treatment, partially minimally invasive possible

Treatment methods and materials for rectus diastasis surgery

Our specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery have various options for restoring your body shape by surgically correcting rectus diastasis. The complexity of the procedure essentially depends on how serious the problem is.

Treatment methods and materials for rectus diastasis surgery

Minimally invasive surgery

Minimally invasive methods are also possible for small excess skin on the midline of the abdominal wall, which can be performed up to a rectus diastasis width of 5 cm. You can look forward to a barely visible scar . However, it is not possible to remove the excess skin with this method and a new skin fold may be created. In some cases, however, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The MILOS technique can be used here, for example. With MILOS or “Mini- or Less Open Sublay”, a synthetic mesh is inserted through a small incision in the skin. You can benefit from minimal scarring and a significantly reduced recovery time.

Invasive procedures for significant rectus diastasis

Depending on the excess skin, the operation involves a transverse incision above the pubic bone, as well as the detachment of the skin and soft tissue mantle up to the navel (for small excess skin) or up to the costal arch (for larger excess skin). Rectus diastasis is performed by suturing the separated muscle strands together so that the gap in the connective tissue is reduced by a fascial suture. If necessary, a mesh can be sewn in using an onlay technique for additional stability.

Mommy makeover for an all-round makeover

The term mommy makeover is used colloquially and refers to the combination of various treatments to reconstruct the female body after pregnancy. For example, rectus diastasis surgery can be combined with a tummy tuck. This makes sense, as the abdominal wall is exposed during both operations and the best result can be achieved through combined treatment. In addition, only one procedure under anesthesia is necessary and the financial savings are also convincing.

Rectus diastasis surgery procedure at UNIQAESTHETICS®

You can find more videos on our YouTube channel at

1. initial consultation

We will review the current status and explain to you in detail which treatments are suitable for solving your problems. There are often options, and we can weigh up the pros and cons together.

2. diagnosis and treatment plan

First of all, one of our specialists at UNIQAESTHETICS® will carry out a detailed diagnosis. Your symptoms are assessed as part of a physical examination and the findings are supplemented with imaging methods such as ultrasound.

3. selection of UNIQAESTHETICS® therapy and commissioning

Based on the examination results, we can explain various treatment options and their prospects of success to you. If an intervention is promising, we will provide you with detailed information about the procedure and costs. You can then decide whether to go ahead with the procedure.

4. carrying out the procedure

The procedure must be performed under general anesthesia and is always time-consuming. The main focus of the procedure is to reunite the opposing abdominal muscles, which can be supplemented by a tummy tuck.

5. follow-up treatment and control

After the operation, the patient usually needs to stay in hospital and then rest for a longer period to ensure that the surgical wounds heal properly. It is very rare for a surgically closed rectus diastasis to reopen. Nevertheless, you should take it easy.

You can find more videos on our YouTube channel at

Who is eligible for rectus diastasis surgery?

Rectus diastasis surgery is an option for you if there is a long-term gap between the abdominal muscles. In practice, this is usually caused by pregnancy , but can also have other reasons. For example, surgery can also be useful for men. The muscle gap can also be caused by being overweight or heavy sporting activity, but this does not make it any less disturbing.

There are also situations in which surgical regression of the diastasis is less advisable. This is particularly true if you have not yet completed your family planning . If you become pregnant again, the success of the rectus diastasis operation can be undone. We therefore recommend that you first clarify whether you wish to have children again.

The most frequently asked questions about rectus diastasis surgery

Is there anything I can do to close the rectus diastasis apart from the operation?

Conventional methods focus in particular on training the deep, transverse abdominal muscle (transversus abdominis muscle) and relieving the weakened connective tissue. Physiotherapy approaches and special programmes such as Tupler® training serve to strengthen the deep abdominal muscles and also mobilize the connective tissue and straight abdominal muscles. Targeted muscle and fascia training as well as adapting everyday behavior are essential, but unfortunately are often not enough to achieve the desired results. However, even small improvements in the symptoms are worthwhile. This not only improves your well-being, but can also help to improve the chances of success for the operation.

What can be done if rectus diastasis symptoms occur?

The muscle belly gap is often accompanied by excess skin and a bulging belly , which is a cause of concern for many women. Excess skin can be improved by slowly losing weight, consistent training, (lipo)massages, lymphatic drainage, mesotherapy and other measures. However, these methods have their limits, which are often quickly reached. Although a fat-away injection can melt small fat deposits, it is not recommended for this indication. The same applies to liposuction: This operation can remove excess fat, but the excess skin, as well as the diastasis of the abdominal muscles, remain unchanged by this procedure.

Will my health insurance pay if I have my rectus diastasis operated on?

Health insurance companies only cover the costs of rectus diastasis surgery if symptoms are present. In other words, if there are symptoms. Together with a specialist, an application for cost coverage is submitted, which the health insurance company can approve or reject. In the case of a tummy tuck and corrections for purely aesthetic reasons, the operation is carried out on a self-pay basis. The costs vary depending on the type of procedure. A reliable estimate is therefore only possible after diagnosis by one of our specialists.

What do I have to consider after the operation?

Take it easy on yourself and do not carry out any physically strenuous activities. Also make sure you sleep with the head section slightly raised if this is possible in your bed. This means that the middle of your body is less stretched and there is less strain on the sutured wound. After approx. 3 weeks, you can perform light exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Normal exercise is only recommended after approx. 8 weeks in order to avoid complications during wound healing.

We look forward to a personal consultation at

Are you interested in rectus diastasis surgery? Then talk to us. We look forward to presenting your options and our services to you in an initial consultation.

UNIQAESTHETICS®

Unna Private Clinic
Feldstraße 5
59423 Unna

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