A diastasis recti repair can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $19,000. The actual cost of a diastasis recti repair is dependent upon location, board certified plastic surgeon, and length and involvement of the plastic surgery.
Surgery for diastasis recti can help you feel better physically. It can also help you feel better about the way your abdomen looks. Sometimes, diastasis recti will get better on its own. It might also get a little better if you do exercises to make your core muscles strong.
APRIL 2022 UPDATE:
The government announced in the Federal Budget that it will allow women after babies to have access to Medicare assistance again if they can demonstrate an ongoing muscle separation (diastasis) causing pain. They allocated over $6 million dollars to make this possible.
SURGEON PROFILE
The diastasis repair is normally not covered by insurance and is generall considered cosmetic in nature by insurance carriers.
It's never too late to heal diastasis recti and restore core strength and function with exercise. Many women suffer from lingering core issues for years, and even decades, after their pregnancies.
Rectus diastasis creates a visible bulge in your abdomen, but it's more than just a cosmetic concern. Untreated rectus diastasis can weaken your abdominal muscles over time, leaving you with chronic lower back pain and reduced mobility.
It's never too late to repair your diastasis recti. With the proper exercises, you can fix your ab separation years after you've delivered your last baby.
Answer: Tummy Tuck and Diastasis Recti
You may also have diastasis recti, which is a separation of the rectus muscles which can occur after pregancy and cause bulging. Insurance companies generally do not cover tummy tucks, including when there is diastasis recti.
Since diastasis recti surgery involves muscle repair, you should expect some muscle soreness and pain for the first few days after your surgery. Your wounds will also show some swelling and bruising. These symptoms might take up to 2 weeks to subside.
Weight loss may improve the appearance of the diastasis in patients who are overweight, and exercise may help strengthen the supporting abdominal muscles.
While a small group of Corpus Christi women with separated abdominal muscles may have the condition naturally resolve itself within a year, or may attempt to speed up that process with physical therapy, a tummy tuck is the only proven medical way to repair diastasis recti.
Does Medicare cover Diastasis Recti surgery? Effective 1st July 2022 – The Australian Government has reinstated a Medicare item Number for Diastasis Recti – 30175.
Medicare doesn't cover
ambulance services. most dental services. glasses, contact lenses and hearing aids.
The key to healing diastasis recti is rebuilding your core from the inside out. You need to strengthen the transverse abdominis (TVA) muscle, which is the deepest abdominal muscle and can provide support for those muscles that have been stretched.
Diastasis is considered severe when the connective tissue is stretched and the muscles of your core can no longer support your pelvic and abdominal region. Specifically, when your deep core cannot generate tension and hold you stable and strong.
Can diastasis recti come back after tummy tuck? Patients who undergo a tummy tuck to repair diastasis recti should be able to enjoy their results for many years to come. However, diastasis recti can reoccur in cases of weight fluctuation, subsequent pregnancy, and other life events.
After surgery, patients generally recover in the hospital for a few days to a week before going home and starting physical therapy. With proper rehabilitation, most patients can achieve pre-injury levels of activity within three to six months.
Is Diastasis Recti a Hernia? While diastasis recti and abdominal hernias may look similar, they are not the same. Diastasis recti is not a protrusion of intestines or abdominal tissues like a hernia; it is a bulge of muscle due to the stretched connective tissue.
A 10 percent disability rating for diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles is allowed, subject to the regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.
However, all full tummy tucks also include the surgical method of tightening the ab muscles—this is the exact same procedure as a medical surgery for diastasis recti. That's right: if you get a tummy tuck, you're automatically also getting a diastasis recti repair.
The most common symptom of diastasis recti is a pooch or bulge in your stomach, especially when you strain or contract your abdominal muscles. Additional symptoms include: lower back pain. poor posture.
One doctor recommended simple diet and exercise, while another suggested reconstructive surgery. However, most doctors agree that you can't always fully fix diastasis recti without surgery.
How is Diastasis Recti Treated? Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) surgery is the only effective treatment for diastasis recti. Once the tissue that connects the abdominal muscles has become stretched, it usually won't heal on its own, regardless of how much you exercise.
When to Consider Diastasis Recti Surgery. If your diastasis recti is severe, or if it's not improving to your satisfaction after exercise, you may consider going under the knife to correct it. But "only consider surgery if conservative treatment of therapeutic exercise and physical therapy has failed," Butts says.
Problems caused by Diastasis recti
Thickened waist: the abdominal muscles act as an internal corset and, as they weaken and separate, a wider waistline can result.