"Slim-Mesh" Technique for Diastasis Recti Abdominis, Including Obesity-Related Cases

We operated on a series of mostly obese patients with diastasis recti abdominis using the "Slim-Mesh" technique to repair/reinforce the diastasis and linea alba/recti muscles without plicating and traumatizing them. Additional objectives were to decrease operation time and intra- and postoperative complications.

We considered T1 cases diastasis after pregnancy and T2 cases obesity (BMI ≥ 30 mg/kg²); D1, D2, and D3 when the diastasis measured 2-3, 3-5, and ≥ 5 cm, respectively; H0 and H1 without and concomitant umbilical and/or epigastric hernia, respectively. At our Department, between May 2010 and November 2022, 47 patients with diastasis recti were operated on with the "Slim-Mesh" technique to reinforce/repair the traumatized linea alba/recti muscles, without plicating them. This was a prospective (83%)-retrospective study.

We studied 23 males and 24 females. Mean age and BMI was 58 years and 29 kg/m², respectively. Groups D1, D2, and D3 comprised 6, 23 and 18 patients, respectively; groups T1, T2, H0 and H1 comprised 22, 25, 13 and 34 patients, respectively. Mean operation time for all cases was 100 minutes. Mean length of hospital stay was 2.3 days and follow-up time was 5 years. We had 6 late postoperative complications: 3 hernia recurrences and 3 trocar site hernias.

Considering the lack of agreement on the best surgery for diastasis recti abdominis repair, in our experience the "Slim-Mesh" technique is a valid, safe and easy-to-reproduce way to save, repair and reinforce linea alba/recti muscles in diastasis recti patients, including the obese population (53%).