Belly Button off Center After Tummy Tuck

This is not uncommon in the post-operative period. Frequently, the belly button is off-center due to mild scoliosis which is undetected due to the severity of the abdominal wall laxity.

It is not unusual for some women to report their belly-button looking off center soon after surgery.  This is usually normal. All the swelling that accompanies a big surgery like an abdominoplasty can really distort how things appear.  It can take 3 months or longer for all of the swelling to go away and for things to settle into their new positition.  I would not worry - you have a long recovery process to go and are in the very early stages.

There was an interesting article published a couple of years ago in one of the plastic surgery journals. They took standard photos of about a hundred women, then superimposed a grid and found that most belly buttons are not perfectly centered to begin with. In your case, with swelling more on one side, the appearance is probably exaggerated from that. It would actually be difficult to move the belly button to one side anyway.

Too early to tell especially with swelling as you state. Have you shown this to your doctor? Malposition of the umbilicus occurs but this is an issue for the surgeon to see and correct.

From MIAMI DR. B

Hi.

The important word in your question is "slightly".  It is quite possible that your belly button is off center after your tummy tuck.  This is a complication.  But if it is only slight, my advice is leave it alone.  Hopefully your tummy tuck is otherwise great.

You seem to have answered your own question with the description of the swelling you have.  Obviously it is too soon to tell.

I am concerned though that you would already be asking if your surgeon "messed up."  There are no guarantees in life or plastic surgery and nobody starts out perfectly symmetrical.  This is disrespectful to someone who hopefully is an excellent doctor who is trying to give you the best result they can.  After all, you selected them and trusted them with your care.