Hardened Tissue After Tummy Tuck

While tissue edema can definitely contribute to areas of fullness and firmness after an abdominoplasty, this phenomenon should be well resolved by the time frame you are referencing (3 years). It may be fat necrosis, scar, poor midline tissue redraping, seroma, ventral hernia, et cetera. I would recommend meeting with your board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and possible solutions. 

Thank you for your question.  Three years after surgery, the scars should be matured and healed.  This could be scar build-up and an evaluation by your plastic surgeon to determine if any thing can be done to treat this problem.

The hardness in the area beneath your umbilicus is probably
related to fat necrosis and scar formation.  This phenomena occurs because of compromised blood flow to
the involved area.  In the initial
phases of wound healing some remodeling can be expected, but after 12-18 months
these changes are more or less permanent without secondary surgery. 

                  It’s
hard to make a recommendation without performing a physical exam.   Depending on the results of this
exam a variety of options may be available.  In some cases revision abdominoplasty may be necessary,
while in other cases surgery may not be an option.

                   If
you’re concerned about this problem, consultation with a board certified
plastic surgeon is appropriate. 
This surgeon should be able to make an appropriate recommendation.