Squished belly button and irregularities - What are my options for fixing my squished belly button? (photos)

It is too soon to tell what your final results will be. It will take 6 to 12 months to see the final outcome. However, even at this stage, it's clear that you will likely will need a revision procedure -- this is simply not right.

I recommend following up with your physician about their suggested after care protocol. I have my patients wear compression for 3 to 6 weeks straight and then overnight for 3 to 6 months after their procedure. I suggest adding hyperbaric oxygen and lymphatic massage along with your compression to help decrease swelling. To improve your final results, I also recommend adding Vanquish for further fat removal; truSculpt iD, Exilis, Forma, and Venus Legacy for additional skin tightening; and Cellutone / ZWave to make the skin smooth, remove scar tissue, and improve the skin’s appearance.

Ultimately, if you are unhappy with your results, please speak to your physician and ensure that he/she was a full body VASER Hi-Definition liposuction physician with extensive experience in contouring and body shaping -- and not just traditional fat reduction. You can always get a revision procedure by an expert if needed. Best, Dr. Emer

Dear sabrinaacarter,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what went wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

You have relative skin excess that has settled in an irregular way on the surface of your abdominal muscles. A tummy tuck is the only way to smooth the skin and underlying soft tissue, however scar tissue will make the process a difficult one to perform because it is holding the irregularities in place. Thi scar tissue is almost always resistant to liposuction techniques designed to break it up. A tummy tuck allows for direct access and enables the surgeon to divide the scar tissue bands so that the skin and subcutaneous tissue can expand and smooth. This is a high risk procedure that can reduce circulation to the skin in the process of scar release. Typically my patients also get hyperbaric oxygen therapy immediately after the procedure, and then daily for the first few days to help keep the tissue oxygenated. Nonetheless, incision breakdown can occur and sometimes small areas of skin necrosis at the incision as well, necessitating revision surgery one year later to improve the tummy tuck scar.

You would likely benefit from an ultra high definition tummy tuck using high definition VASER liposuction. The tummy tuck procedure would comprehensively remove excess skin and fat in the abdominal region. The abdominal muscle would also be 'tightened' to create the appearance of a flatter stomach. A Skype or FaceTime consultation with a tummy tuck specialist will help you get an accurate recommendation and pricing.

Respectfully,
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Your results are a direct reflection of how the procedure was performed. Fat was removed in an uneven fashion and you have been over treated. The primary problem is an even fat distribution with too much fat removed. Correcting this is very difficult and only minor improvements are possible at best.

Typical treatment options include revision liposuction or fat transfer possibly a combination of both.


Since part of the problem is that the area was over treated further Liposuction is unlikely to make things better and could make it worse.

Fat transfer is most likely going to be unsuccessful because the areas now devoid of fat have no host tissue to support grafted fat.

Delivering consistent high-quality liposuction and fat transfer results is more difficult than most people believe. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of choosing the most talented and experienced providers for these procedures.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD