Diastasis Recti

These are only general guidelines and not meant to replace instructions from a physician. Please talk with your physician about your specific condition.

About The Condition

Diastasis Recti – rectus abdominis diastasis (RAD)

About the Condition

Our surgeons are skilled in diagnosing and treating diastasis recti, a separation of abdominal muscles sometimes caused by pregnancy, obesity, prior abdominal surgery, or connective tissue disorder. Surgery can repair this condition, reducing an abdominal bulge or resulting abdominal/back pain.

Diastasis recti – or rectus abdominis diastasis (RAD) – is defined as more than a 2-cm separation of the rectus abdominis muscles, also known as the abdominal muscles. These muscles run vertically on each side of the abdomen and are separated by a band of connective tissue. When the intra-abdominal pressure is elevated, these muscles can thin due to stretching, and they can separate. Most women who have had a baby have diastasis recti, and this usually gets worse with each pregnancy.

Symptoms

Significant diastasis recti and large hernias cause a decrease in abdominal wall pressure and function. This causes the weak connective tissue to support the back and organs instead of the abdominal muscles, causing symptoms such as:

In severe cases, patients experience significant abdominal pain and discomfort, making them unable to walk, twist, lift, hold a baby, exercise, or perform household chores.

Most patients are not looking for an abdominoplasty or cosmetic procedure. They want to regain the functionality of their abdominal wall to improve their quality of life and get back to performing their activities of daily living. Robotic surgery has opened the door for minimally invasive diastasis recti repair.

Before Surgery

Before surgery, you may be asked to:

Please ask your physician about any additional steps you should take before your surgery.

During Surgery

Specialists in General Surgery physicians have repaired diastasis recti by plicating the medial edges of the rectus abdominis muscles intra-abdominally in a minimally invasive fashion using the robotic da Vinci Surgical System and reinforcing the repair with a mesh.  Several authors have questioned the durability of plication alone for diastasis recti repair and suggest that a reinforced mesh repair may be more suitable. On average, our diastasis recti patients stay in the hospital one night, experience minimal complications, and have great outcomes as they regain their abdominal wall functionality.

After Surgery

On average, our patients go home the same day as surgery, experience minimal complications, and have great outcomes as they regain their abdominal wall functionality. 

You will be asked to see your surgeon in one to three weeks after surgery.

If you have additional questions, please contact us at 763.780.6699.

Surgeons Who Treat Diastasis recti

Kamrun Jenabzadeh, MD

Special Medical Interests:

  • Robotic assisted surgery
  • Advanced laparoscopy
  • Reflux disease
  • Achalasia
  • Gallbladder pathology
  • Benign and malignant gastrointestinal pathology
  • Colorectal oncology
  • Complex hernias
  • Groin hernias
  • Complex ventral and hiatal hernias
  • Endocrine, such as adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid diseases
  • Diastasis recti
  • Colonic endometriosis
Read More
Kourtney L. Kemp, MD

Special Medical Interests:

  • Esophageal disease and diagnostics
  • Heartburn/reflux
  • Robotic and laparoscopic surgeries
  • Hernia surgery
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Colon/bowel/gallbladder disease
Read More
rachel tay, MD

SPECIAL MEDICAL INTERESTS:

  • Colon resections
  • Gallbladder disease
  • Thyroid conditions
  • Minimally invasive surgery for hernia repair
  • Complex repair of ventral/incisional hernia
  • Robotic surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery
Read More
Back to Top