Do Absorbable Sutures Work for Rectus Diastasis Repair in Abdominoplasty Patients?

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>The standard treatment for rectus diastasis is rectus sheath plication during abdominoplasty. Lasting correction of diastasis is essential, but there is currently a debate as to whether absorbable or nonabsorbable rectus plication achieves a lower rate of recurrence.<h4>Objectives</h4>The goal of this study is to assess long-term patient outcomes and the recurrence of rectus diastasis after plication with long-lasting absorbable sutures.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective study of abdominoplasties performed by the senior author between 2018 and 2022 was performed. Only female patients with >6 months of follow-up were included. Plication of the rectus muscles was performed with a combination of interrupted, buried, figure of eight #0 polydioxanone suture and running #0 Maxon (Covidien, Mansfield, MA). Outcomes were assessed by physical examination at postoperative visits. A retrospective chart review was used to obtain demographic and perioperative information.<h4>Results</h4>Seventy-one patients underwent abdominoplasty with an average follow-up of 21.1 months. The average age was 43 years, and the average BMI was 27 kg/m². Correction of rectus diastasis was performed using absorbable sutures in all patients with no recurrence of diastasis in any patient (0% diastasis recurrence rate). Complications included delayed wound healing (11%), seroma (8.5%), hematoma (2.8%), and deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (2.8%). No patients needed reoperation.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Abdominal wall plication using a double-layered, long-lasting absorbable suture closure is a safe, reliable, and effective method to address rectus diastasis during abdominoplasty. Our technique achieved no recurrence of diastasis in any patient and a low complication profile.<h4>Level of evidence 3</h4>