Does numbness in Tummy Tuck scar go away over time?

Hello and thank you for your question.
Every patient experience is different. You may have numbness for a prolonged period of time, you may always have numbness, or it may improve over time. I suggest contacting your surgeon with any questions or concerns. Best of luck!

Thank you for sharing your question. It is not uncommon to have numbness from the belly button down to your tummy tuck scar in a triangular shaped area after surgery. Although this improves in most patients to the same level of sensation as before surgery, it is possible to have permanent numbness.

Numbness directly on the scar of many TT can be permanent. Not only that, there is often an area of numbness from the belly button down to the scar that has numbness or decreased feeling for a long time, sometimes even permanently.

Much of the numbness depends on the amount of skin being removed and the extent of the surgery, so be sure and ask your surgeon for specifics regarding your exact case.

Dear Optimistic237718,
numbness is very common. It depends on the operation but often times sensation can return in a couple of weeks, a year, or not at all. Skin sensation itself is very important and can sometimes be lost with surgery. This is often mentioned in the risks of the consent process.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Over time, the numbness will improve, but it may not go away completely. You are correct, in that it is not uncommon to have numbness in the long scar following a Tummy Tuck. What happens over time is that your brain processes the signals of touch from the area of a scar differently; this is initially perceived as numbness. Over time, this improves. Some patients report increased sensation, decreased sensation, or a return to baseline sensation after the Surgery. Every patient is different, and every scar is different. It is important to understand that there is no guarantee that the sensation will be “full” like it was prior to the Surgery.

Changes in sensation are common during the healing phase from a tummy tuck. This will typically improve over the next year as tissues heal and swelling resolves. If after a year you still have numbness with no improvement, the change is more likely to be permanent.