Correction of rectus diastasis (RD) is a procedure performed by most surgeons during abdominoplasty. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the long-term efficacy of the correction of RD when plication of the anterior rectus sheath is performed. Seventeen female patients who underwent abdominoplasty were studied. RD was measured preoperatively with two CT-scan slices: above and below the umbilicus. The bony levels where the slices were made served as a reference for the postoperative CT-scans. During the operation, RD was measured at the same levels of the preoperative CT-scan slices. At this moment, the necessary force to bring the medial edges of the rectus muscles to the midline was measured with a dynamometer. Plication of the anterior rectus sheath was performed on two layers with 2-0 Nylon. Postoperative CT-scans were made at 3 weeks and 6 months after the operation. A long-term follow-up CT-scan was made from 32 to 84 months after the operation on every patient. It was found that there was no statistical significant difference when the measurement of RD with the use of CT-scan was compared to those found during the operation; therefore CT-scan is a very reliable method to verify the position of the abdominal muscles. The 3-week postoperative CT-scan proved that the correction of RD was achieved by the procedure. The long term CT-scans showed that there was no recurrence of RD in any patient of this series. This demonstrates that the plication of the anterior rectus sheath is a long-lasting procedure to correct rectus diastasis.
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