Adipose, excess skin and stretch marks. The classic post-pregnancy blemishes
Because fatty deposits, excess skin and stretch marks often coexist with the diastasis recti
The answer to this observation lies in the pathophysiology of diastasis and the significant increase in volume during pregnancy.
It happens that the skin adapts to the abnormal volume sustained by diastasis and pregnancy by thinning and increasing its surface area.
This frequently causes stretch marks and results in irregularities in the thickness of the panniculus adiposus.
As long as the abdominal volume is present such changes might be masked, but once the abdominal volume decreases after childbirth inevitably if present they will manifest.
The most frequent conditions to be treated
Classically, the skin of the periumbilical region is thinned and dystrophic due to the excessive pulling that develops during pregnancy and later due to diastasis itself.
Frequently, stretch marks are observed arranged radially around the umbilicus especially in the upper plica.
Excess skin is often concentrated in the suprapubic region especially if there is a previous retracted cesarean section and sometimes also on the upper abdominal quadrants if there is a large diastasis.
Localized adiposity tends to be concentrated in the so-called "belly belt," that is, that region of the lower abdominal quadrants that turns from side to side in a girdle fashion.
Therapy, in order to bring about a complete result almost never consists of a single action but almost always needs to combine several maneuvers.
he treatment of diastasis is the cornerstone and backbone of effective abdominal reconstruction on which additional superficial maneuvers can be performed that are combined and synergistic with each other.
For example, liposuction is rarely performed alone but is often combined with removal of excess skin (which would otherwise be even more droopy).
Removal of excess skindepending on the case may require from simple facelift, tominiabdominoplasty (tummytuck) , tofull abdominoplasty (tummytuck).
Based on these needs frequently in our clinical practice we perform a procedure called The Triad ® which consists of reconstruction of diastasis recti in R-Tapp robotic surgery, liposculpture and removal of excess skin as we see in this case.
