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Separation of the abdominal muscles (diastasis recti)
Diastasis is the gap between the two straight abdominal muscles, which move apart sideways during pregnancy. In some women they return by themselves after childbirth, in others they do not.
What concerns does it address?
When does exercise help, and when not?
Exercise strengthens muscle. What lies between the muscles is connective tissue, and exercise does not shorten it.
How is diastasis measured?
The gap between the two abdominal muscles is measured above and below the navel while you lie down with your head raised — by hand at the examination, and precisely by ultrasound. A gap larger than about two centimetres that does not get smaller with exercise is a diastasis that is treated surgically. Ultrasound also shows whether there is an umbilical hernia alongside the diastasis, because it is then treated together.
What does the gap mean, and what does excess skin mean?
After pregnancy the abdomen changes on three levels, and they are not solved by the same procedure:
- Skin — stretched skin that does not draw back. It is removed with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty).
- Muscle — separated straight abdominal muscles. This is diastasis; the muscles are joined in the midline and so returned to their original position.
- Fatty tissue — deposits that remain when weight is stable. They are removed with liposuction.
→ Tummy after childbirth → Tummy tuck → Liposuction
What is done surgically?
The separated muscles are stitched back together in the middle. The procedure is done in three extents, depending on where the gap is:
- upper, through the navel
- lower
- upper and lower
When is the procedure not suitable?
The procedure is not done until at least six months have passed since childbirth and breastfeeding has finished, because the abdominal wall is still recovering and the result would be uncertain. It is postponed if you are planning more pregnancies, because a new pregnancy would separate the muscles again. It is not done with a body mass index above 30, with uncontrolled diabetes or in smokers, because the incision is long and the skin of the abdomen has a poor blood supply. After earlier abdominal operations with larger scars, we assess the circulation of the skin before deciding.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
How do we prepare for the procedure?
An ultrasound of the abdominal wall is done before the procedure.
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Recovery
For the first week you walk slightly hunched and sleep with your knees raised. For the first two weeks you do not lift anything heavier than a few kilograms, including a child. The compression garment is worn for six weeks on average, day and night, with breaks for washing — it reduces swelling and protects the muscle stitch.
Procedures are grouped into four recovery profiles: A, outpatient (home straight away, no restrictions apart from dressing changes), B, minor procedure (home the same day or after one night, marks are visible for about a week), C, major procedure (one to two nights in the clinic, sick leave and planning in weeks) and D, functional procedure (sick leave and return to work). This procedure belongs to profile C. How long recovery takes and what it depends on is described on the Recovery after surgery page.
Risks
Expected — tightness when straightening up, limited strain on the abdomen in the first weeks. Occasional — slower wound healing, a wider scar.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Diastasis correction — upper part, through the navel | €1,500–2,300 |
| Diastasis correction — lower part | €1,300–2,000 |
| Diastasis correction — upper and lower part | €2,500–3,500 |
| Tummy tuck with correction of upper diastasis | €4,500–5,000 |
Anaesthesia is included in the price.
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
In the same visit
- Tummy tuck — the muscles are reached through the same incision, so there is one recovery.
- Hernia surgery — an umbilical hernia alongside diastasis is treated in the same operation, through the same incision.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get rid of diastasis with exercise? Exercises strengthen the muscles and can make the abdomen smaller, but they do not bring together the sheath that has separated. With a smaller diastasis, targeted exercise with a physiotherapist in the first year after childbirth is worth trying; if the gap stays wider than two to three fingers, exercises will not close it.
Does a later pregnancy affect the result? Yes. A new pregnancy stretches the sheath again and can separate the stitched muscles. There is no obstacle to pregnancy after the procedure, but the result may be partly lost.
Is diastasis the same as a hernia? No. Diastasis is a gap between muscles, while a hernia is an opening through which the contents of the abdominal cavity pass. Some people have both.
Is diastasis always done together with a tummy tuck? Most often yes, because the muscles are stitched through the same incision that removes the excess skin. With a smaller diastasis and no excess skin, stitching through a shorter incision is possible, and we decide on this at the examination.
How are the muscles joined? The sheath of the straight abdominal muscles is stitched in the middle, from the ribs to the pubic bone, with a strong stitch that does not dissolve or dissolves slowly. This makes the waist narrower and the abdomen flatter.
Will my back pain go away? In many people it eases, because the joined muscles hold the trunk again and take the load off the back. We cannot promise this, because back pain also has other causes.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Who is with me if I stay overnight in the clinic after the procedure? You stay overnight when the doctor judges it necessary and this is agreed with you. You then spend the night in a room in the recovery unit, which has a bed, a television and a bathroom. A nurse is with you all night and a doctor is on call. The overnight stay and night care are included in the price of the procedure.
→ How long do you stay in the clinic after surgery?
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.