Tummy Tuck With New Belly Button
As the abdominal skin is pulled down, it will cover the belly button, so a new opening in the skin must be made for the belly button. The belly button is brought through the new opening (imagine pulling a button through a buttonhole) and its edges are stitched into place.
The tummy tuck incision is made low on the abdomen, and the abdominal skin is lifted. An additional incision is created around the belly button in order to release it from the surrounding skin, but the belly button remains attached to its “stalk” in the abdominal muscles at all times.
Once the separated or damaged abdominal muscles have been repaired, the abdominal skin is re-draped more tightly over the stomach to give it a flatter contour. read on to learn more on tummy tuck belly button looks weird and belly button stitches after tummy tuck.
Tummy Tuck With New Belly Button
During the tummy tuck procedure, an incision will be made in the low abdomen through which fat and stretched skin will be removed, and any loose muscles will be sewn together. Another incision will usually be made around the belly button.
The remaining upper skin is lifted up as high as the rib cage and pulled down like a window shade to the lower skin near the pubic bone. The skin is now stretched tight and the surgeon then chooses the new ideal position to place the stalk of the belly button.
Your belly button is actually attached to the muscles below. During the procedure, it’ll stay attached to its “stalk.” In most cases, the surgeon will create a new opening for the belly buttonTrusted Source, especially if its shape has become distorted after weight gain or pregnancy.
If this isn’t done well, the belly button may end up looking distorted — either too flat, too deep, or the wrong shape. So, it’s important to ask your surgeon to see their portfolio and ask about their ideas for your naval.
If you’re healed from a tummy tuck and still dissatisfied with your belly button, you may consider an umbilicoplasty, which is a surgery to change the appearance of the belly button.
Although the tummy tuck scar is low enough to be hidden by underwear or a bikini button, the belly button is in plain view, so it must look natural and attractive.
Creating a natural-looking belly button requires many years of honing one’s surgical skills and using a meticulous approach. The tummy tuck surgeon must pay close attention to the shape of the opening in the skin, and use careful techniques to suture the belly button into its new opening.
As you are in the process of researching plastic surgeons to perform your tummy tuck, browse before-and-after photographs of the surgeon’s previous patients and look carefully at the belly buttons. Do they look natural and appealing to you? If not, you should find another surgeon whose aesthetic is more in line with what you envision for yourself.
The recovery timeline after your tummy tuck will vary depending on several factors including your age, weight, and general health.
You may or may not have to spend the night in the hospital. Your drainage tubes, which pull fluid away from the abdomen, will likely remain in place for several days.
You’ll also need to wear an abdominal binder for about 6 weeks. This is basically a very tight band around the belly that supports the tummy and helps to avoid fluid buildup.
Tummy Tuck Belly Button Looks Weird
Many people wonder this exact thing, as a botched belly button can make the tummy tuck not worth it at all. Rest assured that in most cases, the belly button won’t be altered or moved, instead the skin and muscle around it will be tightened.
If you opt for a mini tummy tuck, the whole procedure will take place below the belly button, which is a good option for those who are just concerned about a small pooch in the lower belly.
Tummy tucks and the belly button
During the tummy tuck procedure, an incision will be made in the low abdomen through which fat and stretched skin will be removed, and any loose muscles will be sewn together. Another incision will usually be made around the belly button.
The remaining upper skin is lifted up as high as the rib cage and pulled down like a window shade to the lower skin near the pubic bone. The skin is now stretched tight and the surgeon then chooses the new ideal position to place the stalk of the belly button.
Your belly button is actually attached to the muscles below. During the procedure, it’ll stay attached to its “stalk.” In most cases, the surgeon will create a new opening for the belly buttonTrusted Source, especially if its shape has become distorted after weight gain or pregnancy.
If this isn’t done well, the belly button may end up looking distorted — either too flat, too deep, or the wrong shape. So, it’s important to ask your surgeon to see their portfolio and ask about their ideas for your naval.
If you’re healed from a tummy tuck and still dissatisfied with your belly button, you may consider an umbilicoplasty, which is a surgery to change the appearance of the belly button.
Before and after pictures
It can be helpful to see before and after photos of the belly button after a tummy tuck when deciding if the procedure is right for you. Check out the gallery of real patients below:
Healing after surgery
The recovery timeline after your tummy tuck will vary depending on several factors including your age, weight, and general health.
You may or may not have to spend the night in the hospital. Your drainage tubes, which pull fluid away from the abdomen, will likely remain in place for several days.
You’ll also need to wear an abdominal binder for about 6 weeks. This is basically a very tight band around the belly that supports the tummy and helps to avoid fluid buildup.
It’s especially important that you wear your binder and avoid strenuous activity so the belly button heals properly.
Post-surgery care
Your doctor should give instructions on how to care for your belly button after a tummy tuck. This may include cleaning the area with warm water or a saltwater solution.
It’s normal for the area to look swollen and even a bit crusty after surgery, and it may take as long as 6 months for the belly button to heal.
- The belly button looks too constricted or too open.
- Pus or discharge is coming from the naval.
- Your belly button protrudes for more than a few weeks.
- You feel something hard behind the naval.
- The belly button looks distorted or “off.”
- The scar feels painful or becomes more prominent.
- You notice blood at the incision site.
A tummy tuck can be a good way to flatten the stomach and tighten muscles in the abdomen that may have gotten loose from pregnancy, weight gain, or just general aging, but many people wonder what’ll happen to the belly button as a result of the procedure.
Normally, an incision will be made around the naval and it’ll be lifted and put back in the appropriate place to fit the new shape of the stomach. Other times it may be necessary to make a new opening.
Belly Button Stitches After Tummy Tuck
In abdominoplasty, absorbable sutures are usually inserted at the incision site. These sutures do not need to be removed; only the knots on both sides are removed after two weeks. However, the sutures inside the navel are not absorbable, and removing them after two weeks is necessary.
After the tummy tuck surgery, all patients want to return to everyday life as soon as possible; however, recovering from abdominoplasty requires patience and perseverance. The speed of your healing process depends on factors such as age, general health, body weight, and the technique your surgeon practiced. If you are concerned about the results, complications, warning signs after a tummy tuck, and instructions for the tummy tuck recovery, you can find the answers to your questions in this article.
How Is Recovery after Tummy Tuck?
Tummy tuck recovery is more challenging than other body plastic surgeries, such as liposuction and breast augmentation. After a tummy tuck, you will have moderate to severe pain, which OTC and prescribed medications can control. Also, you probably experience numbness, skin tingling, burning sensation, lumps and bumps, swelling, and bruising for weeks after the operation. Fortunately, most of the abdominoplasty’s discomfort will diminish within a few weeks, except for swelling that may persist for up to 6 months. If you want to know more about the tummy tuck recovery period, continue reading.
What to Expect During Tummy Tuck recovery?
After being discharged, you must rest at home for a few weeks. In the tummy tuck recovery period, you should take painkillers and -if needed- anticoagulants. It isn’t easy to bend, stand, and lift something a few days after the surgery, so having a caregiver by your side is better. However, it would help if you had mobility at home, so walk around the house daily to prevent blood clots in the abdominoplasty recovery period.
Right after Tummy Tuck
After the surgery, a surgical dressing will cover your stomach to prevent contact with clothes and bleeding. Your doctor may recommend you sleep at a specific angle to feel less pain and your drainage tube will not move.
The first week after the tummy tuck
In the first week after a tummy tuck, you may have pain, bruising, swelling, and excess discharges, all of which can be controlled by taking medication and wearing special garments and bandages. During the first week of tummy tuck recovery:
- Have a balanced diet and avoid foods rich in sodium;
- Wear and replace your bandage just as your surgeon has suggested;
- Avoid taking a shower for a couple of days, especially if you have drains;
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol;
- Do not do chores;
- Follow your prescribed medications;
- If you have drains, make an appointment to remove them;
- Avoid driving, even for short distances;
- Do not stay in bed all day. Walk gently around the house or the hospital ward;
- Do not do strenuous activities such as biking, driving, lifting, pushing and pulling heavy objects, etc.;
- In case of unbearable pain, take prescribed painkillers and use an ice compress;
- Drink plenty of water;
- Avoid bending and jumping; and
- Ask someone to be your caregiver during the abdominoplasty recovery period.
The second week after the tummy tuck
During the second week after a tummy tuck, you’d better continue your diet to achieve the desired result. Although pain, swelling, and bruising subside this week, you may need to continue taking medications and wearing compression garments. Moreover, during the second week of tummy tuck recovery:
- Apply anti-scar ointments and silicone sheets to minimize scarring;
- Avoid smoking and drinking;
- Avoid having sex;
- Reduce sodium intake;
- Avoid doing heavy exercises and chores;
- Take a walk for a few minutes every day to increase your blood flow;
- Massage the operated area twice a day to speed up the healing process;
- If your job is not physically demanding, you can get back to work; and
- Stay hydrated all day long.
Third and fourth week after tummy tuck
Almost three to four weeks after the tummy tuck, you can have a regular diet and exercise as before. However, avoiding strenuous exercises such as weightlifting and mountain climbing is suggested for at least six weeks after the surgery. Also, wearing a compression garment for a month after the operation is better for achieving your desired contour. Although your pain should be gone by the fourth week, you may still experience discomfort when getting up from bed, sitting straight, or driving. Therefore, avoid long trips and sitting for hours.
The fifth and sixth weeks after tummy tuck
On the fifth week onward, you can enjoy the outcome of your surgery as the swelling is subsided to a great extent and the muscles are more apparent. At this stage, you can return to your daily exercises, driving, and having intercourse.
Do’s and Don’ts After Abdominoplasty Surgery
After abdominoplasty surgery, you should rest for 1 to 4 weeks until you recover completely. However, age, type of surgery, general health, and post-surgery care can affect the tummy tuck recovery duration. After a tummy tuck, it is necessary to take the following care:
- Avoid air travel for at least three weeks after the surgery;
- Maintain good personal hygiene to reduce the risk of infection;
- Clean the incision area with lukewarm water and fragrance-free soap every day;
- Avoid using skin products containing alcohol and paraben;
- Avoid lifting weighty objects for at least two weeks;
- Call a doctor in case of active bleeding during the first two weeks after the surgery;
- Avoid taking any nicotine from one month before the surgery until the end of the recovery period;
- Stroll and avoid absolute rest to prevent blood clots;
- Rest for 15 days and ask for a caregiver during tummy tuck recovery;
- Visit the doctor on the third day and the first week after the surgery, especially to remove the drain;
- Wear proper and loose clothes to avoid moving drainage tube and surgical dressing;
- Use an elastic bandage or special clothing for a month to control bruising and swelling;
- Avoid bathing after abdominoplasty surgery until the drain is removed and the hole is closed;
- Prevent blood clots by wearing anti-embolism socks after the surgery or injecting heparin and enoxaparin as prescribed by your doctor;
- Avoid walking, doing everyday activities, doing heavy exercises, and driving for 10 to 14 days after the surgery, especially if the muscles are plicated.
When Are Stitches Removed After a Tummy Tuck?
In abdominoplasty, absorbable sutures are usually inserted at the incision site. These sutures do not need to be removed; only the knots on both sides are removed after two weeks. However, the sutures inside the navel are not absorbable, and removing them after two weeks is necessary. Usually, doctors in Iran recommend using gels, anti-scar creams, silicone sheets, or laser therapy to prevent the formation of excess flesh at the suture site.
How Long Does It Take for Tummy Tuck Scars to Heal?
The scar looks good in the first days after tummy tuck surgery, but it becomes red or purple and prominent after some time. This scar is not permanent and will go away after a few months, but the silver line of the scar will always remain under the abdomen. In any case, full recovery of the scars takes 3 to 6 months and sometimes a year.
Inflammation after Tummy Tuck
After each surgery, the body sends white blood cells to the operated area to protect the damaged tissues and attack the harmful bacteria that cause inflammation or swelling. After the tummy tuck, the immune system sends many white blood cells to the incision site to protect the stomach tissue and heal the wounds. Therefore, swelling after the tummy tuck is normal and will subside within several months. Meanwhile, you can wear a compression garment and have a low-sodium diet to get rid of swelling faster.
Meds You Should Take in Tummy Tuck Recovery Period
After being discharged from the hospital, you have been prescribed the following drugs. The duration and method of taking the medicines depend on your physical condition. The meds that you should take after tummy tuck surgery include:
- Anti-constipation drugs;
- Oral antibiotics to prevent infection in the surgical area;
- Acetaminophen codeine, suppository, or ampoule to control the pain.