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8 Years Since Tummy Tuck. Navel Has Never Healed. Frequent Discharge with Foul Odor. Help

asked 11 months ago by Wayne Toronto in Hamilton, ON
Latest answer by Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Question viewed 521 times
Tags: belly button, 8 years post-op, complication, discharge, odor

Had my abdominoplasty in 2003. On and off, my belly button would ooze. Discharge/slight blood and bad smell. Surgeon did revision surgery a few years after, just said there was a LOT of hair in there, believed to be the cause (I am male, coarse tummy hair) problem still as bad as ever, now 8 years later. I want to have a second revision surgery to remove the belly button all together and just have them close it up like a normal scar. Have never had any problems at all with the abdominal scar!

8 answers to 8 Years Since Tummy Tuck. Navel Has Never Healed. Frequent Discharge with Foul Odor. Help

Umbilicoplasty For Chronic Drainage After A Tummy Tuck

Intermittent and chronic drainage from the belly button area after a tummy tuck indicates that there is a cyst associated with the imbilical tract. Given that you are a male with hair-bearing abdominal skin, there must be an area inside the umbilical tract that has growing hair, trapped skin or both. This certainly needs to be revised with the opening of the tract and excision of the involved skin. It is likely that hair-bearing skin from the surrounding abdominal area got pulled down... more

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

Infected belly button

If you are still having problems with a belly button infection eight years after a tummy tuck, you should definitely see a plastic surgeon. You may have an infected suture (such as those used to tighten your muscles). It will probably be necessary to have surgery to clean out the infected area, but obviously that decision should be made in consultation with your experienced plastic surgeon.

David Stoker, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Chronic infection around the belly button

Your problem should be solvable without removing your belly button. This could look strange in the end. I would advocate a return to the OR and the injection of blue dye down the tract. This will guide the surgeon to the complete removal of the involved area and will let him know if the problem was hair, retained permanent suture or anything else.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Chronic drainage after attempted treatment - Pilonidal Cyst Possible!

Hi Wayne, read your information and initially thought that this was a routine case of a retained suture (AKA foreign body) causing your symptoms. However, your history of a revision finding hair makes me think that what you really have may be a Pilonidal cyst (or more correctly, 'sinus'). These are rare, and likely under diagnosed in the umbilicus. Normally seen near the buttock cleft, they contain hair and cellular debris which causes inflammation and discharge. Standard treatment is to... more

Kirk A. Churukian, MD
Los Gatos Plastic Surgeon

Continous discharge from umbo

Dear Wayne, It sounds like you are having a real problem with this. You have put up with it for 8 years! I don't blame you for wanting the belly button removed and of course, this is an option. I agree with the other contributors that it is most likely due to a chronically infected foreign body and is worth exploration. If you are very hairy, have you tried shaving the area around the belly button and keeping the area religiously clean to see if it... more

Jonathan J Staiano, MBBS
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Drainage Persistent after Tummy Tuck Needs Exploration

I advise you see your surgeon. The causes might include remaining ingrown hair, retained/infected suture, chronic sinus tract/cyst. Your surgeon will want to explore the area carefully with adequate anesthesia for your comfort. Even frustrated as you are, "removing the belly button completely" may not be necessary.

Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
Denver Plastic Surgeon

Drainage after tummy tuck

I agree, you need to go back to surgery and have your surgeon find the culprit. It could be a number of things as listed in the previous post. I don't think it will ever get better if you don't. There is probably a track from the belly button to the foreign body that can be followed and then removed/excised. Good luck! Dr. McCormack

Tiffany McCormack, MD
Reno Plastic Surgeon

www.plasticsurgeryrenotahoe.com

Belly button issues after tummy tuck surgery

The problem you describe sounds classic for an infected foreign body with drainage out of the path of least resistance - your belly button scar. This could be hair, an infected stitch or seroma (fluid collection). The right thing to do is return to the OR for wound exploration and removal of the offending foreign body.

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

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