Franklin Peña, MD

If you're experiencing drainage of smelly fluid from your belly button 8 months after surgery, it's essential to take action promptly. Here are some steps you can take:

Contact Your Surgeon: Reach out to your plastic surgeon as soon as possible to inform them of your symptoms. They can provide personalized advice based on your medical history and the specifics of your surgery.
Keep the Area Clean: In the meantime, gently clean the area around your belly button with mild soap and water. Pat the area dry with a clean towel afterward.
Avoid Manipulating the Area: Refrain from poking, prodding, or attempting to drain the fluid yourself. Manipulating the area could introduce bacteria and potentially worsen the situation.
Monitor for Signs of Infection: Keep an eye out for any signs of infection, such as increasing redness, warmth, swelling, or pain around the belly button. If you notice any of these symptoms, notify your surgeon immediately.
Follow Your Surgeon's Recommendations: Your surgeon may recommend further evaluation or treatment, such as applying antibiotic ointment or scheduling an in-person examination. Follow their instructions carefully to ensure proper healing.
In summary, contact your surgeon, keep the area clean, avoid manipulation, monitor for signs of infection, and follow your surgeon's recommendations closely. Taking these steps will help address the issue and promote optimal healing.

It's not uncommon for the skin on the nose to be more sensitive, especially after rhinoplasty. Changes in skin pigmentation, such as splotchiness or redness, can occur due to various factors, including sun exposure, inflammation, or healing processes.

Given that you've noticed splotchiness specifically during the summer heat, it's likely that sun exposure could be contributing to this issue. The skin on the nose may be more vulnerable to the sun's UV rays, especially if it's still in the process of healing.

While it's essential to consider the possibility of infection or other complications, especially if you're experiencing any pain, swelling, or discharge, splotchiness alone may not necessarily indicate a serious problem. However, it's always best to err on the side of caution and consult with your surgeon or a dermatologist for a proper evaluation.

In the meantime, to protect your nose from further sun damage, it's crucial to use sunscreen with a high SPF, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and avoid prolonged sun exposure, especially during peak hours. Additionally, keeping the area clean and moisturized can help support the healing process.

Overall, if you have any concerns about changes in your skin after rhinoplasty, it's essential to seek professional medical advice for an accurate assessment and appropriate management.

Combining rhinoplasty, lip lift, and lower blepharoplasty in a single procedure is feasible, but it ultimately depends on various factors such as your overall health, the extent of each procedure, and the surgeon's recommendation. While some patients may undergo multiple facial surgeries simultaneously to achieve comprehensive results, it's crucial to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can assess your individual case and determine the safest and most effective approach for you. They will consider factors such as recovery time, potential risks, and your aesthetic goals before making any recommendations.

A tummy tuck is performed to correct abdominal distention and remove sagging skin left over from pregnancy. Along with abdominoplasty, we rely on liposuction to eliminate localized fat in the abdomen, back and flanks area and thus contour the figure. And it is usually accompanied by gluteal lipoinjection, which is the liposuction method that extracts fat from the back, abdomen and flanks and is placed on the buttocks to give volume and improve body contour. It can be combined with breast augmentation with implants.

Abdominoplasty is the procedure by which an incision is made in the abdomen to eliminate flaccidity and accumulated fat in the area. It is helped by liposuction to improve the body contour, providing a better shape to the waist.