Belly Button Size / Shape After Extended Tummy Tuck

Understandably, the appearance of the umbilicus is of great importance to many patients undergoing tummy tuck surgery; after all, it may be the only telltale sign of having undergone the tummy tuck surgery when the patient is wearing a swimming suit or undergarments. The umbilicus should be positioned carefully; if it is too high or too low, it may be a sign of tummy tuck surgery. Ifit is too round or slit like it may also look "surgical". Most patients prefer a relatively small and oval-shaped umbilicus. I hope this helps.

We get an interesting amount of questions about muscle plication on this forum.  Your photos imply that you probably wound't have benefitted much from plication although your history suggests that the muscles are probably separated.  If your abdomen is full and tight in the resting position from being overweight then there is no real point to plicating.  It doesn't improve your figure as much if you are full framed.  Photos can be decieving so only on examination will your surgeon know.  The belly button probably will need a revision where they make it a little bit smaller and that will help.  Over time they reduce in size but not much.  Best wishes,

After looking at your photos, it appears that the surgery itself was a success.  As far as muscle plication, it is hard to say for sure whether or not it would have been necessary, pictures can sometimes be deceiving.  I usually examine the patient prior to surgery to determine whether there is any diastasis, (muscle seperation) but ultimately it is what I find at the time of surgery that determines what I do.  However, I must say that I think your belly button has been inset much too large.  It is unlikely that this will "shrink" with time. The good news, however, is that you can have a revision that should make your belly button look quite acceptable.  The belly button is the make or break of the operation.  You can get a great, flat abdomen, but with a large, crooked or otherwise cosmetically unacceptable belly button, what good was it to have the surgery after all? Good luck!