1 year post op: belly button too high, bludge, scarring around belly button. Options? (photos)

Question

I had this procedure done about a year ago and was hoping I would see some change. I am experiencing a bulge in left side, my belly button has scarred badly and I was upset with how high my belly button appears. After my 1 year consultation, I was told I would have to pay $5000 and undergo more surgeries that may possible not even help with my concerns. Did I get a blotched tummy tuck?

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear mzbabygirrl,
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

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

I often tell patients to judge plastic surgeons based on who gets the most natural-looking belly button while reviewing before and after pictures. it is the hallmark or sine qua non of quality surgery.
Creating a natural looking bellybutton is the most difficult part and doing this well takes time and can only be done by surgeons who are technically talented, detail-oriented, and willing to put in the time and effort to get it right. surgeons who get consistent good-looking bellybuttons typically are good at all aspects of the procedure and also tend to get the best incisions that are set nice and low, are even, and follow anatomic contours naturally. The results leave the torso looking good from all angles because the procedure is designed correctly based on each individual patient's needs. these are the fundamental principles of a quality tummy tuck.
Defined the most talented and experienced surgeons patients should have multiple in-person consultations. During consultations, they should ask providers to show their entire collection of before and after pictures. Simply seeing a handful of pre-selected pictures which most likely represent the best results of the provider's career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like in the hands of each provider. an experienced provider should have no difficulty showing you at least 50 sets of before and after pictures of common procedures like a tummy tuck. highly experienced surgeons will have hundreds or even thousands of before and after pictures for these procedures.
I tell patients to judge surgeons based on who gets the most natural looking belly buttons first and foremost. The second hallmark as a low sets car that follows anatomic contours naturally and the third is that the torso looks good from all angles.
I encourage all patients to have multiple consultations and avoid virtual consultations whenever possible.
After the fact it’s a little bit difficult to go back and fix things. A tummy tuck is more or less a permanent and irreversible operation.
The position of the belly button on the abdominal wall is not changed with the procedure. It stays exactly where it always has been and the only thing that is altered is the skin around it and where the belly button is brought through the skin. if taking a Q-tip and putting it in your belly button points to did the deepest part of your belly button below the incision then the incision was made higher than where the belly button actually sits. If you put a Q-tip in your belly button and it points down words then the incision was made below what the actual belly button sits. Determining the correct position for making the opening for the belly button during surgery is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Often at this point in the operation, the torso is completely flexed and that moves the relative position of the belly button compared to the skin. When the torso is later fully extended the pull of the skin causes the appearance of the incision to be in a different spot. The reason for flexing the torso during surgery is so that the skin edges can be brought together without tearing tissues because of the tension put on the skin to get a tight flat abdomen.
Some people naturally have a belly button that sits high while others have one that sits low. The position of the base of the belly button is not moved during surgery only the opening in the skin.
Personally, I believe that the best-looking belly buttons have the following characteristics. patients who have a deep belly button are much easier to work with. making the incision for the new belly button position small tends to look better. keeping the belly button stalk short enough for it to pull in on the skin from the abdominal surface creates a more natural look(this is much easier and patient with deep belly buttons). For patients who have a shallow belly button the stalk of the belly button should be sutured to the muscle fascia to create a poll on the abdominal skin to create a natural three-dimensional belly button contour.
Finally, the area needs to be properly defatted to also contribute to shaping the area correctly. And natural looking belly button is not just about the bellybutton itself but rather has the entire central abdomen look on a normal person.
A good plastic surgeon will contour the central abdomen through some of the above-described techniques to create a natural contour. A flat half dollar size circular flap of skin on the middle of the abdomen like so many tummy tucks end up with doesn’t look natural and they certainly don’t look good.
Once things have healed in place and scar tissue has formed it is very difficult to improve upon the outcome.
Most belly button revisions end up not looking better but just looking different. this is especially true if the surgeon made a large opening on the abdominal wall during the primary procedure.
Improving on your outcome is going to be difficult and will most likely just add additional scars. personally, I would not do it. there may be plenty of room for improving other aspects of the procedure and the shape and contour of your torso but improving your belly button it’s going to be difficult and you should keep expectations on the low side if you opt for doing it.
All plastic surgeons have had belly buttons there less proud of. Hopefully, everybody moves forward in the right direction and continues to try to improve on this. Surgeons who are meticulous, detail-oriented, and strive for perfection typically consistently get the best results and when it comes to tummy tucks it is a natural-looking belly button. 
My apologies for the grammatical errors. I use voice recognition.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

1 year post op: belly button too high, bludge, scarring around belly button. Options? (photos)

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