Belly Button is Closing After Tummy Tuck, What Can be Done? (photo)

What you have is stenosis (narrowing) of the umbilical opening. The actual belly button is being pulled below the skin and the hole will close up. You will have to have a revision which will open the hole up and suture the belly button to the skin. If you don't the wound will eventually become infected.

      Your plastic surgeon will know better what is appropriate given what was done specifically during your operation and how your belly button looks on physical exam.  A small revision may be in order.  What needs to be done will be dependent upon how much of a belly button remnant you have. 

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Once  the wound is healed you will probably need a procedure under local anesthesia to improve this. What that procedure will be will depend on what is behind the narrowed scar. 

Do follow regularly with your surgeon.

All the best. 

Options are manuel dilation, re operation to enl;rage opening (but there could be scars). Otherwise not many other thoughts. 

Hi,  The closing or scar contraction around the belly button can happen and when the timing is correct, your plastic surgeon will give you the options on how to revise it in the office.  It seems from one of your pics that you had some skin breakdown around the belly button in the earlier phases of your post op healing.  This will definitely add to the contracture of the "circle" of the belly button.  The opening can actually close and inserting a Q tip like you are doing can help stretch it.  Some doctors even have the patients put in larger stretching objects to try to prevent complete closure.  Having said this, it seems to me that you will need a revision and that can be done under local anesthesia in the office in most cases.

Once you are completely healed you may need  a revision of your umbilicus.  This is not an uncommon problem and can be corrected with a revision.