Diastasis and Ways to Get Rid of It or Why the Surgery via the Navel is not an Option

Diastasis is a fairly common problem among women, especially after pregnancy and childbirth. This is due to increased pressure in the abdominal cavity and muscle relaxation, which results in diverging of the intermediate line of the abdomen. At the same time, it may occur in anyone’s case – even in case of girls who easily do the splits, control their diet and do sports during pregnancy. Conservative methods of diastasis correction after pregnancy are not very effective. It is usually sutured surgically. The surgery consists in suturing the ligaments between the muscles of the intermediate line of the abdomen, which allows to return the muscles to their normal position and reduce the expansion of the intermediate line. Let’s consider how it is performed. 

What is Diastasis? 

To begin with, a little theory is provided. Diastasis is a condition when the ligaments between the muscles of the intermediate line of the abdomen diverge. This can result in a visible expansion of the intermediate line and the protrusion of parts of internal organs through it. This condition may occur during pregnancy or as a result of increased pressure in the abdominal cavity when lifting heavy loads, jolts or problems with the pelvic floor stability. Diastasis may be accompanied by abdominal pain and discomfort, especially when lifting a heavy load or performing other physical exercises. Treatment may include exercises for strengthening the intermediate line muscles and correcting posture. However, in practice, physical training is rather a prevention of diastasis appearance. If it has already developed, simply removing the divergence will not work. In most cases, the only solution is surgery.

Methods of Surgical Operation of Diastasis

At present, 4 methods of suturing diastasis are used in surgical practice:

• via the navel;
• laparoscopically;
• miniabdominally;
• abdominally.

In the publications of fitness trainers, bloggers and journalists, i.e., people who are far from surgery, recommendations for minimally invasive procedures are increasingly common. But is diastasis surgery via the navel or miniabdominally really a great idea? In my opinion it’s not and here’s why. 

Laparoscopy and Surgeries via the Navel: Possible, but there is a Nuance 

It is theoretically possible to perform diastasis surgery via the navel, although it is quite complicated. But there is a nuance – what to do with the excess skin? If it is already stretched, independent recovery to a normal state is impossible, even if magical means of cosmetology promise it. These are the laws of anatomy and physiology.

Surgeries via the navel can help only athletes that do not have a single centimeter of excess skin (and such patients in the practice of a plastic surgeon are only 1%). But even within that single percentage, the result may not meet expectations. Let’s consider an example. The divergence of the rectus abdominis muscles is 3 to 5 centimeters and there is no visible excess skin. In order to eliminate the diastasis, you decide to remove it laparoscopically – via the navel. The surgeon sutures the divergence from above – as a result, the skin, which did not seem to be excess, becomes it in the vertical direction. And there is nowhere to hide it. The following three options are possible:

• everything goes well, the skin does not start to sag and looks aesthetically pleasing after the surgery. However, it should be noted that it is not always possible to achieve such a result, even with impeccable work of the surgeon. Excess skin in this case is not even a complication, but a natural consequence;
• surgery is more or less successful and everything looks great when standing, but folds appear when changing position. This can be tolerated, although it is not an ideal result; 
• repeated surgery is needed, but now using the abdominoplasty technique. 

The third case involves additional costs that could be avoided, if immediately turning to the abdomino technique. At the same time, take into account that the surgery via the navel will cost more, because technically it is much more difficult.

Laparoscopy, in the case of which several instruments are inserted through small holes, has a similar principle and the same disadvantage – excess skin remains after the surgery. Therefore, if the folds are already there prior to the surgery, we immediately reject this method. And in their absence, you need to weigh the pros and cons of the procedure three times, and it is still possible to give preference to traditional methods.

Why do I not Recommend Mini-Abdominoplasty?

Another option is a mini-abdominoplasty. A few years ago, it even became a plastic surgery trend and was actively popularized by the media and blogs. The technique is used if the diastasis itself is insignificant. After such a surgery, minor folds will remain and the navel is slightly deformed and “looks” down or is slightly shifted down. The additional problem is that immediately after the surgery, on the surgery table, the result looks quite good and aesthetic defects appear later. Another disadvantage is that after mini-abdominoplasty, it is much more difficult to correct defects using the classic abdominoplasty technique. Therefore, before making a decision about a mini-abdominoplasy for suturing diastasis, it is necessary to carefully weigh all pros and cons, individually assessing the specifics of a particular case. 

Abdominoplasty: a Classic Technique Recommended by the Medical Community 

My personal opinion is that this approach is the most effective one and gives the expected result, so the classic abdominoplasty is recommended in the clinic of Dr. Chornomyz. This approach allows the surgeon to remove excess skin from the pubis to the navel. In the event of the classical method, a scar remains below where it can be covered with underwear. And the abdomen itself looks great, so you can safely pose in a swimsuit. During the surgery, the surgeon carries out an excellent examination and can dry up individual areas, precisely place sutures and tighten the skin with jewel-like precision. Of course, complications may also happen, but they are much fewer

Which diastasis correction technique is optimal for you? The feature of plastic surgery is the individual approach to each patient, so the answer can be given only after a personal consultation. You can appoint it by phone – the phone numbers are provided on the website.