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Occasionally during an abdominoplasty, when the new belly button hole is made too small, it will constrict as the incisions heal. This will not improve on its own. The good news is that it is easily fixable. The way that I have successfully reconstructed new belly buttons involves a small incision around the existing belly button and replacement with a skin graft. It works beautifully.
The belly button commonly heals with an unpredictable result due to the scar tissue that occurs with the original clamping of the umbilical cord. Once the scar has softened (typically 6-9 monhts) a scar revision or neo-umbilicoplasty can be preformed to open or create a new belly button.
I agree that you likely have a constricted or stenosed umbilicus after abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. This is a fairly common condition that depending on the technique utilized by your surgeon can occur. In general, it is much better to have a smaller or subtle belly button than a large belly button. One of the tell tale signs of a bad tummy tuck is a large belly button that looks like a target sign - and this can be extremely hard to fix. My recommendation is to get a foam ear plug and maybe try to find a solid solicone ear plug (usually can find at a sporting goods store when they sell firearms). You basically do aggressive scar massage and fit in the solid silicone ear plug and you can "maintain" the circumference of the umbilicus. Not to scare you but I have seen some TOTALLY close off and at 5 months, you can still prevent this and likely stretch it some without needing a surgical revision. If this does not work, I would recommend revisiting your board certified plastic surgeon and discuss options with him or her. I hope this helps! Sincerely, James F. Boynton, M.D., F.A.C.S.
You may find that steroid injection and/or massage may be useful in softening up the scar around the umbilicus. What may or may not also be helpful is gentle dilation of the bellybutton with a small marble that can be placed in the bellybutton (and taped over). This may be left in place overnight and may help avoid continued contraction of the umbilicus. Otherwise allow time for scar maturation to occur and understand that scar revision surgery may be necessary. As with any recommendations you should receive online, I would suggest clearing it with your plastic surgeon before you begin. I hope this helps.
A tummy tuck is a safe and effective procedure to contour the abdomen, create a tight waist, and remove extra skin, fat, and stretch marks. The creation of a belly button is one of the most important parts of creating a beautiful tummy tuck. One possible risk for this procedure is excessive scarring around the belly button which can shrink its size. If this is happening, your best bet is to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has a great deal of experience in abdominoplasty, liposuction, scar revision, and body contouring. They will be able to assess your belly button and determine what surgical approaches may be necessary to fix this scarring. Sometimes, this correction may be done in the office, but in some patients they are best served with a small procedure in the operating room often underneath the skin flap by opening a small portion of their abdominal incision.
