Diastasis recti can heal naturally and often does. The condition is very common in postpartum women, for example, many of whom heal on their own within eight weeks of delivery. Some people heal without any intervention. Others find that they need some physical therapy or special exercises to help them. Some doctors feel that exercise should heal diastasis recti in three to nine weeks. If it doesn’t, many deem the condition permanent.
Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case. For some patients, surgical intervention is the only way to fix diastasis recti.
Different people experience diastasis recti differently. Some people choose not to fix the problem and are fine aside from a bit of a belly bulge that doesn’t really bother them. Any issues are purely cosmetic and just don’t pose a problem for them.
Other people experience back pain, urinary incontinence, core weakness, and trouble lifting heavy objects. These issues can be severe enough to interfere with daily life. Some people develop hernias as a result of diastasis recti and are forced into surgically correcting the problem.
It’s never too late to fix diastasis recti. You can seek treatment for the condition at any time. If the condition is bothering you, either physically or cosmetically, you should consider treatment no matter how long you’ve been living with diastasis recti.
Surgery is without a doubt the fastest way to correct diastasis recti. It’s not the only way, but it’s the most expedient, offering immediate results.
Most people who opt to surgically repair their diastasis recti combine the procedure with a tummy tuck. A diastasis recti repair alone will close the gap between the abdominal muscles, but it won’t do anything about excess belly fat or extra skin. Loose skin is common with diastasis recti caused by pregnancy, however, and is impossible to eliminate with diet or exercise.
A tummy tuck solves all these problems at once, repairing the abdominal muscles while removing excess skin and fat around the abdomen—and it does so without adding any additional recovery time to the surgery. The result is a repaired abdomen along with a toned tummy.
Postpartum diastasis recti should heal in about eight weeks, but many doctors give the body up to a full year to heal itself after delivery. It is only at this point that they will consider surgical intervention. Other doctors, however, feel that with exercise or physical therapy, diastasis recti should heal within three to nine weeks.
If you elect to have surgery, you will need to stay home from work for two weeks and avoid strenuous activity for four to six weeks. The recovery period is the same for patients who choose to have a tummy tuck along with their diastasis recti repair.