Results
Rectus diastasis: documented results
In rectus diastasis the post-operative image shows two distinct things: the outer profile of the abdomen and the reconstruction of the midline. The first is visible in a photograph, the second is measured with ultrasound. The images on this page document real cases operated on with endoscopic or open techniques, photographed months after surgery and published with the specific consent of the person.
An abdomen at three weeks and the same abdomen at six months are not comparable: post-operative swelling resolves slowly and the final result is judged after months. Where the information is available, the technique and the follow-up point are stated.
How to read these images
These photographs are clinical documentation, not advertising for a result. The timing of the follow-up changes everything: in the first months postoperative swelling is still present and scars are more visible than they will eventually be. The shape of the abdomen also depends on the starting point, on weight, on tissue quality and on how closely the recovery program is followed. No image can tell you what outcome is achievable in your case: that is established at the consultation, through clinical examination and imaging.
The clinical before/after photographs are published only on the surgeon's own site, with the specific written consent of each patient and without recognizable faces.
When you look at a result, read it carefully: a photograph documents one person's outcome at a given follow-up. The same technique on two different people gives two different results, because skin, fat, muscle tone and the width of the diastasis differ. Judge the definitive result at six to twelve months, not in the first weeks.
Your case is different from every case you see here
These images show how I reason. The answer about your case comes from the consultation: clinical examination, dynamic ultrasound and, when needed, CT.
ContactFrequently asked questions about results
- Do before and after images guarantee the same result in my case?
- No, and they should not be read that way. They document what was achieved in that specific case, with that technique and from that starting point. The result achievable in your case is established at the consultation, with clinical examination and imaging.
- How many months after surgery are the post-operative photographs taken?
- It is stated case by case. Generally the useful images are those from three to twelve months: before that, swelling is still present and scars are redder and more raised than they will eventually be.
- Did the people consent to publication?
- Yes. Every image is published under written consent specific to publication, separate from consent to surgery and revocable at any time.
- Why are faces not shown?
- Because they are not needed, and because a patient's photograph is health data. The images are cropped to the abdominal region and identifying features are masked.
- Will the scar stay as it looks in the images?
- In most cases it continues to improve. A scar matures over twelve to eighteen months, changing in color and in how raised it is. Site, tension, genetics, smoking and sun protection all play a part.
- Can I see other cases similar to mine?
- Yes, at the consultation. I show documentation of cases comparable to your situation, including images of partial outcomes: they help you understand the real limits of what is achievable.
Frequently asked questions