Will Distance Change Between Belly Button and Scar? (photo)

Hello, I had revision TT surgery by having the scar lowered. I measured previous to surgery that I had a distance of 2.9 inches from bottom of bb to scar and then 4" from scar to top of genitals. My surgeon seems to have lowered incision by 2" according to markings. However I only have 2" now from bb to scar and 3" from scar to genital area. I am so confused as I thought my scar would be at least 5" from bb. Am I missing something or will the bb and scarline distance increase as swelling goes down?

Tags:

belly button scar revision

Comment on this

7 Doctor Answers | Asked by cinnamonswirl

Doctor Answers (7)
Community Comments (1)

Distance from Belly Button to tummy tuck scar.

Thanks for your question. It looks as if the surgeon has excised tissue from above your previous scar to the area marked in the original photo. By doing that they were trying to move the scar down towards the genital area. It really wasn't going to ever lengthen the distance from the scar to the belly button. There really isn't a way to lengthen that second distance.

Tummy Tuck Scar Revision

The result is improved, and there is only so much compromise that can be made in these situations. The distance between the belly button and the scar rarely increases in these situations, because the pubic skin tends to have more laxity in general after the tummy tuck.

Distance between belly button and horizontal incision will likely remain stable

Hello, Thank you for the question and the photos. I do not see a small vertical incision representing the previous belly button location. This may indicate that your belly button was not released which would mean that the skin below your belly button was stretched down as opposed to the entire abdominal skin being stretched down. In general the only way for the distance between the belly button and the horizontal incision to increase is for the horizontal incision to go... more

Scar revision

Unless the umbilicus was re-sited the distance between the scar and the umbilicus will not change. However to do so, you would have a small vertical scar below your umbilicus.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Will Distance Change Between Belly Button and Scar

The distance from the navel to the scar is not likely to change. The result of the revision does looks good in terms of scar and contour. The distance from the navel to scar look about the same in both photos, though the photo technique is different and there are no rulers to compare. From the looks of the pre-op photo, it seems unlikely that the distance from navel to scar could possibly increase as you might have expected. Focus on the improvement. All the best.

Lowering tummy scars

After a tummy tuck can certainly be done but to increase the distance between your scar and belly button is more challenging. These are issues you should have specifically mentioned to your doctor before your surgery. That being said, if those are your post-op results, they certainly do look good. If you just said you wanted your scar lowered, I think that has been achieved. If you specifically said you wanted to increase the distance between your belly button and... more

Curtis Wong, MD

7 reviews

Redding Plastic Surgeon

Scar distance may change some

Thanks for your question and photos. Lowering the scar is sometimes tricky. It looks like you have a great result. Though your measurements may not reflect the numbers you were anticipating, the scar is in a better position. Hang in there and don't obsess about the numbers. You have a great result.

Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (1)

cinnamonswirl 25 Jan 2013

Thank you for giving your professional opinon Doctors it is very much appreciated. As a marker on the before picture if you see the freckle on the leg just above the panties well the scar now lays literally just aboove that so even though the top of my scar is now attached down that low and my bb was never moved I am just miffed as to how the distance is still the same. I know I am obsessing lol. Thank you for all your kind words. MaryB.

Ask a Question