Surgery to make post tummy-tuck dime-slit belly button bigger? 7 weeks post op. (photos)

There may be reasons the belly button looks as it does, i.e. hernia repair, native size of the belly button, post surgical swelling etc.You may want to wait until all the swelling has resolved before considering a revision.  Ultimately it is your belly button, so it should look the way you want it- provided it can be done safely and within the constraints of the underlying anatomy.

Dear ahjb,belly button reconstruction is the most delicate part of tummy tuck surgery. I spend almost an hour on belly button reconstruction so that my patients get the best possible outcome. If you have any doubts you can always ask for a second opinion. You will get the best recommendations after a thorough examination.Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

It is easier to make a small belly button larger, by dissecting around the belly button stalk and then sewing it to a larger hole in the abdominal skin, than it is to make a large one smaller. You also have an indented vertical scar in the lower abdomen; I'm wondering if that is the hole from your original bellybutton cutout that was closed into a vertical scar, or if that was preexisting. This kind of revision can be done under local anesthesia in many cases, unless there is a desire to try to revise the main incision or take more tissue out in the lower abdomen.

Oh man this is a tough one. There are thinks that can be done. Its very tough though. Sometimes its a staged procedure where you have to release it and try to tack it down deep to the abdominal wall then come back and skin graft the top to resurface the depth of the belly button with skin. But I am confused because the 2-4th photos look fine. Are they yours or someone else?

Thanks for your question ahjb.  Making your belly button bigger can be accomplished more easily than making it smaller, so that's a good thing.  Because the healing/scarring/scar remodeling process can take up to 6 months or even a year, many plastic surgeons including myself ask that our patients wait that long so that we can deliver the best possible result to meet their expectations.  This extra time, while extremely frustrating, will help new blood vessels to form and help the scar tissues soften so that your body can heal better the second time around.  Absolutely discuss these concerns with your surgeon, but don't for a second feel bad about a second opinion if you are feeling uncomfortable or being made just to accept your result.  I wish you the best!
Dr. Max

While your "belly button" does not seem narrow to me, the goal is always to try to meet our patients' expectations - not ours. Often times the appearance can be satisfactorily changed but I would counsel a patient to wait at least a year before doing so. That allows all the tissues/scar to soften and mature. The appearance may change some during this time as well.

The good news is that a bigger belly button is easier to make compared to making a smaller belly button.  Having the scar hidden or less visible will require the belly button to be more sunken in which can be done.  You'll have to discuss this with your surgeon to make sure you are on the same page.  You should discuss exactly how much bigger you would want your belly button as well as shape and any other important information.All the best,Dr. Remus Repta

Belly buttons are always challenging. Its important to begin by reminding ourselves that the belly button is really just a scar left over from the umbilical cord connection. As a scar, with absolutely NO functional value to the rest of the body, its mere survival is remarkable after undergoing a tummy tuck! Unfortunately, society and present day culture attach a tremendous amount of significance to this structure. In fact it can be seen as being beautiful or less so. The features of a "beautiful" belly button is usually one of medium width,scars that lie inside the rim and enough depth to enhance its sensual quality. That all said, revising or improving a less than ideal belly button can be done depending on the patient. A small one can be made larger but enough depth has to be present to prevent it from becoming a "bulls eye". You need to wait 6 months before attempting a revision and meantime use some form of packing deeply within the umbilicus to maintain and possibly increase the depth. An improvement is possible but as your surgeon hinted at, not real easy. Good luck.