TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical significance of diastasis recti
T2 - Literature review and awareness amongst health care professionals
AU - Blankensteijn, Louise L.
AU - Hockx, Miriam
AU - Mullender, Margriet
AU - Bouman, Mark-Bram
AU - Melenhorst, Wynand B. W. H.
N1 - Funding Information: The survey and head researcher were partially funded by the Researchfund supported by "Stichting Vrienden van het Diakonessenhuis Utrecht" (The Foundation Friends of Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, the Netherlands). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - Background: A variety of physical complaints have been related to chronic diastasis recti (DR), including back pain, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence. However, its clinical significance is still subject of debate, leaving many patients to feel unheard when experiencing symptoms. This study aims to assess current knowledge on DR, its potential treatments, and the awareness of this condition amongst involved health care professionals. Methods: A literature review was performed to analyze current available knowledge on DR and its treatment. Then, a survey was conducted to investigate the awareness on DR amongst general practitioners, midwives, gynecologists, general surgeons, and plastic surgeons. Results: Over 500 health care professionals completed our survey, including 46 general practitioners, 39 midwives, 249 gynecologists, 33 general surgeons, and 74 plastic surgeons. Although the majority of respondents (>78% in all groups) reported to encounter DR in daily practice, opinions differed markedly on most significant symptoms, associated physical complaints, best first referral for treatment, and best treatment modality. Conclusion: Current literature is not unanimous on the relation between DR and physical complaints and on its most suitable treatment. This incongruity is corroborated by the variety of responses from involved health care professionals in our survey. More clinical data are needed to provide clarity on this issue.
AB - Background: A variety of physical complaints have been related to chronic diastasis recti (DR), including back pain, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence. However, its clinical significance is still subject of debate, leaving many patients to feel unheard when experiencing symptoms. This study aims to assess current knowledge on DR, its potential treatments, and the awareness of this condition amongst involved health care professionals. Methods: A literature review was performed to analyze current available knowledge on DR and its treatment. Then, a survey was conducted to investigate the awareness on DR amongst general practitioners, midwives, gynecologists, general surgeons, and plastic surgeons. Results: Over 500 health care professionals completed our survey, including 46 general practitioners, 39 midwives, 249 gynecologists, 33 general surgeons, and 74 plastic surgeons. Although the majority of respondents (>78% in all groups) reported to encounter DR in daily practice, opinions differed markedly on most significant symptoms, associated physical complaints, best first referral for treatment, and best treatment modality. Conclusion: Current literature is not unanimous on the relation between DR and physical complaints and on its most suitable treatment. This incongruity is corroborated by the variety of responses from involved health care professionals in our survey. More clinical data are needed to provide clarity on this issue.
KW - Abdominal wall
KW - Diastasis recti
KW - Physiotherapy
KW - Plastic surgery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163496839&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2023.06.005
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2023.06.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 37413736
SN - 1748-6815
VL - 84
SP - 439
EP - 446
JO - Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
JF - Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
ER -