Robotic surgery for diastasis recti

In robotic surgery, the surgeon controls specialised instruments through small openings while viewing the abdominal wall on a screen. The repair may bring separated tissues together and may address a hernia if one is present. The robot does not make decisions independently; the operating surgeon plans and performs the repair.

This is still abdominal surgery, with anaesthesia, wound care and a period of restricted lifting. A visible gap without pain or functional difficulty may not require an operation. A consultation should cover alternatives, expected recovery, future pregnancy plans and the possibility that another approach is more suitable.

Bring details of pregnancies, prior operations, medicines, smoking, abdominal symptoms and activity goals. Ask how the surgeon confirms diastasis recti and excludes a hernia. Non-surgical rehabilitation may be appropriate before deciding; Postnatal Physiotherapy can help build abdominal and pelvic control when relevant. After surgery, follow the team’s instructions for walking, wound care, driving and lifting, and increase activity gradually.

Contact the surgical team promptly for worsening pain, fever, spreading redness, wound drainage, repeated vomiting, difficulty passing urine, or a new swelling. Seek urgent help for severe abdominal pain, fainting, breathing difficulty, or a firm painful lump. Do not use strenuous exercise to test the repair while healing.

Ask what problem the operation is intended to treat, why a robotic approach fits your anatomy, what other approaches exist, and which restrictions will apply. Clarify surgeon experience, anaesthesia planning, follow-up arrangements and how a future pregnancy could affect the repair.