A tummy tuck procedure usually comes with the plastic surgeon creating an artificial-looking belly button. Unfortunately, this practice does not often look great against the newly reclaimed body shape post-pregnancy or after a massive weight loss.
Furthermore, you may feel that people can easily tell that you have had an abdominoplasty just by looking at your belly button. These factors make it critical to manage how your belly button looks after a tummy tuck.
The Belly Button in a Tummy Tuck Procedure
More often than not, the plastic surgeon performing the tummy tuck procedure will need to sculpt around the belly button. How they handle it depends on each patient’s unique physique – for some, they may need to remove it completely, although this is now only done in rare cases where it has a scarring, or an unusual shape or position.
A good example of when the belly button needs to be completely removed is when the patient has an umbilical hernia. An umbilical hernia occurs due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall, creating a distorted naval appearance.
In most contemporary tummy tucks, providers will either leave the umbilical stalk intact or relocate the belly button. Once the surgeon has removed the loose skin, they will make a new hole in the skin to form a new belly button.
Alternatively, the surgeon can perform an umbilical float or belly button relocation, particularly when the patient has little excess skin on the upper abdomen. Here, the stalk is detached, pulled down, and reconnected to the muscles without removing it from the surrounding skin.
Why Does the Belly Button Look Weird?
Two factors can cause a belly button to look “off” after a tummy tuck, including:
- How the new belly button is shaped compared to its original state before the procedure
- The decision to create a new belly button hole.
The navel can go off-center if the hole is poorly placed after removing the umbilical stalk. Additionally, the correction of diastasis recti can cause an askew belly button, as one side might be pulled inward slightly more than the other.
The good news is that the surgeon can avoid many of these situations if they work with an assistant. The assistant can hold the excess skin while the surgeon carefully marks the new incision location.
How to Improve the Appearance of an Askew Belly Button After a Tummy Tuck
The best way to prevent issues with your belly button after a tummy tuck is to ensure you choose the right plastic surgeon for the procedure. Do your homework and research trustworthy surgeons. Moreover, you want to choose a surgeon with prior experience performing tummy tuck procedures and patient photo galleries.
“To help ensure the best results for a tummy tuck, find a surgeon you trust and follow the instructions,” says Dr. Sacha Obaid of North Texas Plastic Surgery. “This includes preparing for your procedure and ensuring your recovery period is optimized for your body’s proper healing.”
Additionally, some patients suggest it is important to invest in compression garments; your surgeon will recommend one to you or even provide you with one. You can progress to softer yoga pants four to six weeks after the procedure for better hold.
Conclusion
Although you cannot always avoid that weird-looking belly button, you can take measures to make it look better. Getting the right medical professional for the procedure is crucial; it can mitigate belly button abnormalities after the tummy tuck procedure.
