This patient in her 30s developed major skin laxity and diastasis recti after childbirth. She was 5’8” tall and weighed 185lb preoperatively. We performed a full tummy tuck with liposuction-contouring of the upper abdomen and flanks using power-assisted liposculpture (PAL), removing 1250cc of lipoaspirate and excised 1550g (3.4lb) of tissue. During surgery we confirmed her rectus diastasis was quite wide, measuring 5-6 cm around the umbilicus. A two-layer rectus muscle plication was done using 1 Vicryl Plus figure-of-eight sutures followed by Stratafix barbed 2 PDO sutures. These sutures firmly plicate the tissue but gradually dissolve over 3 months, so ultimately no foreign material is left behind. The 1year postop tummy tuck pictures show how we eliminated the bulging shape of her central abdomen, and the resulting scars were low, faint and symmetrical.
Disclaimer: Similar results cannot be guaranteed since outcomes vary among patients.
