Abdominoplasty versus endoscopic approach to diastasis recti repair: A comparative study of outcomes.

[UNLABELLED] Diastasis recti (DR) is characterized by the deviation of the abdominal rectus muscle due to widening of the linea alba and laxity of the abdominal wall musculature. This condition affects the quality of life, in terms of performance of activities of daily living and physical tasks. Several techniques have been described to correct DR. This prospective research aimed at comparing the traditional approaches vs endoscopic plication for DR repair in terms of safety, effectiveness and satisfaction of the patients based on patient-reported outcome measures via the BODY-Q abdomen scale.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] We performed a retrospective multicenter study in 2 departments of aesthetic and plastic surgery, Department of Plastic Surgery, San Carlo of Nancy Hospital, Rome (group I) and Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires, Argentina group II). A total of 85 consecutive patients treated using abdominoplasty access (group I) and 85 consecutive patients treated using an endoscopic approach (group II) were enrolled in the study. The minimum follow-up was 12 months.

[RESULTS] Descriptive statistics were used to report the counts and frequencies for categorical data. Continuous normally and non-normally distributed data were described as means with standard deviations and medians with interquartile ranges as appropriate. All analyses were performed using the STATA/IC 16.0 software.

[CONCLUSION] Our multicenter experience reveals that open and minimally invasive approaches are viable options. Identifying the optimal approach for DR repair should also rely on the patient's desired treatment outcome.