Surgical techniques for repair of abdominal rectus diastasis: a scoping review

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Rectus diastasis is characterized by widening and laxity of the linea alba, causing the abdominal content to bulge. Rectus diastasis is treated either conservatively with physiotherapy, or surgically, surgical treatment showing especially convincing results. The primary aim of this study was to describe surgical techniques used to correct abdominal rectus diastasis. Secondary, we wished to assess postoperative complications in relation to the various techniques. A systematic scoping review was conducted and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR statement. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched systematically. Studies were included if they described a surgical technique used to repair abdominal rectus diastasis, with or without concomitant ventral hernia. Secondary outcomes were recurrence rate and other complications. A total of 61 studies were included: 46 used an open approach and 15 used a laparoscopic approach for repair of the abdominal rectus diastasis. All the included studies used some sort of plication, but various technical modifications were used. The most common surgical technique was classic low abdominoplasty. The plication was done as either a single or a double layer, most commonly with permanent sutures. There were overall low recurrence rates and other complication rates after both the open and the laparoscopic techniques. We identified many techniques for repair of abdominal rectus diastasis. Recurrence rate and other complication rates were in general low. However, there is a lack of high-level evidence and it is not possible to recommend one method over another. Thus, further randomized controlled trials are needed in this area.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery
Volume55
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)195-201
Number of pages7
ISSN2000-656X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica Society.

    Research areas

  • Abdominal rectus diastasis, abdominoplasty, complications, laparoscopic repair, plication technique, recurrence, surgery, sutures

ID: 301356733