What Should I Do About My Belly Button Closing After Tummy Tuck?

asked 8 months ago by Gail1962 in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Latest answer by Beverly Friedlander, MD
Question viewed 334 times
Tags: belly button, closed

Ok, so I went to my PS to discuss my concern about my belly button closing. He gave me a shot of cortisone and said he will do it again in 3 mons & again 3 mons later. I read on this forum that your professional opinion is once it's closed it will not open. So I called my PS back and he said he will do a scar revision, but there is no guarantee that outcome is will be 100%. I questioned the zplasty, he said that is just for scars not the belly button. Now I have no idea what to do.

9 answers to What Should I Do About My Belly Button Closing After Tummy Tuck?

Scar revision for belly button after tummy tuck

An umbilical scar (belly button) after a tummy tuck can be revised once the tissue has softened up, this may take 9 months or a year after surgery. The scar tissue can be excised and a new belly button created. You can also seek out a second opinion in your area but I would express your concerns again with your plastic surgeon and see if he has a good solution. Steroids have some role but can be "re-open" a belly button this has already closed and scarred in. Best... more

William Bruno, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.williambrunomd.com

Belly button after abdominoplasty

Sometimes the belly buton can scar down and close up after surgery. Initially the best treatment is conservative and consists of steroids given monthly and massage. If this fails to "dilate" your belly button, then the next option is a scar revision procedure which can be done under local anesthesia in the office. A z-plasty is an excellent option because , by the exact nature of the procedure, it divides the scar into smaller segments which help to prevent... more

Beverly Friedlander, MD
Short Hills Plastic Surgeon

Belly Button after Abdominoplasty

Without more information, it is impossible to answer your questions. It would also be helpful to show your before and after pictures. If you are having unusual healing problems that it is good that you are following closely with your surgeon.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Belly button closing down after tummy tuck, how ti fix it

You do not state how far you are from surgery and how scarred in your belly button is. What I find that works well in the rare circumstances that this happens is use an ear plug. Take a soft ear plug and squeeze it and roll it thin and insert it into the belly button. This will help control the scar in the early healing phase, prevents closure and helps soften it up. You might have to wear it for a few weeks. I would try this first, before jumping into a revision which will create a... more

George Marosan, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Closed belly button

If your belly botton is small or closed because of the scar than perhaps revising the scar might help. Sometimes the blood to the belly button is not good and there could have been some delayed healing in the area causing the belly button to shrink. Also some peoples belly buttons are not so well formed and are sort of damaged after pregnancy. If any of this is the case you might actually need a little more done in order to re-create the belly button. In any event it's pretty minor.... more

Ronald Schuster, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

www.drschuster.com

Scar mangement

I think you ccan still do an condences sessions of massaging the scar with silicon gel or any moisturing cream many times a day for at least 5 mintues. and most likely you are going to have ascar revision later if not now. although i prefer to wait for the scar to smoothen abit

Fatema S. Alsubhi, MD, SSC-plast
UAE Plastic Surgeon

Closed belly button

Hello, Options depend upon how "deep" the problem is. If the belly button is soft and healthy underneath the surface, it can usually be revised under local (numbing shots.) Sometimes there is healing problem on the surface only and that is where the scarring is the worst. I would need to see you to help figure it out. Best Regards, John Di Saia MD

John P. Di Saia, MD
Orange Plastic Surgeon

Umbilical scar "closing down" after tummy tuck.

Umbilical scarring after tummy tuck is different for each patient, and depends not only on the innate healing and scar-forming tendencies of each patient, but also on prior surgeries that can leave belly button scars and decreased circulation to these healing tissues, as well as whatever circulation the umbilical stalk has after it is separated from the surrounding skin during the performance of your tummy tuck. This can be diminished even without prior surgery in this area. Sometimes... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Scarring after tummy tuck

I think that at this point you and your surgeon are doing the right things given your situation. What may or may not also be helpful is gentle dilation of the bellybutton with a small marble that can be placed in the bellybutton (and taped over). This may be left in place overnight and may help avoid continued contraction of the umbilicus. As with any recommendations you should receive online, I would suggest clearing it with your plastic surgeon before you begin. Otherwise at this... more