Abdominal wall disfigurement

The four deforming elements of the anterior abdominal wall--obesity, intestinal distension, gravitation, and muscular diastasis (the abdominal wall tetrad)--are described. The first two belong to medicine, and the last two to the surgeon's skill. Four degrees of deformity are described. Specific intervention is indicated for the correction of each of these degrees of deformity. In no case is the operation disabling, nor does it require an exceedingly long recovery time.