Minimally Invasive Repair of Rectus Diastasis (MILA) with Preservation of the Umbilical Ligament: A Technical Description

Diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA) is a frequent condition of the anterior abdominal wall, with functional and aesthetic impact, whose surgical treatment has progressively evolved to less invasive approaches. Among these, MILA (Minimally Invasive Lipoabdominoplasty) stands out for allowing the correction of diastasis endoscopically in the supra-aponeurotic plane. The present article details the MILA technique with umbilical ligament preservation, emphasizing its technical and anatomical aspects, as well as the selection criteria and the fundamental surgical steps for its reproducibility. This is a technical description, without analysis of clinical outcomes or comparison between methods. The preservation of the umbilical ligament is a differential of the technique, contributing to the maintenance of the umbilical anatomy and the natural abdominal contour. The systematized description of MILA can help surgeons standardize the technique and serve as a basis for future comparative clinical studies.

Keywords:
Diastasis Rectus Abdominis; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Laparoscopy; Abdominal Wall; Navel