How long does it take for the belly button to heal after a tummy tuck?

Question

My belly button looks so ugly after my tummy tuck it's been 6 days and I'm wondering does the appearance improve over time or is what you see what you get?

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

The belly button will need to heal just as the rest of your body and incisions do.  It will be about 4 months before a lot of the swelling is gone.  During this time you will have good days and bad days, in particular when you begin to start to increase your activity.  You have to give it some time and see how things shape out.Good luck.

Francis Johns, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.You are very early in the healing process. As you continue to heal, the belly button will continue to look more normal. Stay patient and good luck with recovery.

Ira H. Rex III, MD · Answer

The bellybutton should healed right in step with the rest of the incisions. As days and weeks go by, the scars tend to get flatter and smoother. It may take three months before you have a good idea of what the bellybutton will finally look like.

Daniel Brown, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi and thanks for your question.  Good news - your belly button will definitely improve in appearance as time goes on.  At only 6 days after your procedure, you are approaching the maximum amount of swelling, which can significantly distort the shape and appearance of your belly button.  After 2-3 weeks you should start to see an improvement, continuing up to 4-6 months after your surgery.If you continue to have concerns, please discuss with your surgeon.  Adding a photo so that the experts here on Real Self can more accurately assess your area of interest can also be very helpful in answering your questions most appropriately and being able to give you the best advice possible.  Best wishes during your recovery!Dr. Brown

Renee Burke, MD · Answer

Hello. Just like the rest of your tummy, the belly button can appear swollen after a tummy tuck. It will take weeks for the swelling to improve and you will see your final result 3-6 months after surgery. If you notice your belly button skin color changes and no longer looks pink or you notice drainage from the incision around it or a new odor from the wound, these are indications to call your doctor immediately. Otherwise, have patience and know that you are just in the beginning of your healing phase.

Jason M. Petrungaro, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  The belly button incision is probably the part of a tummy tuck that has the most variation among Plastic Surgeons.  Each surgeon has found their own best way of performing this part of the procedure, known as the umbilical transposition.  I place a deep layer of dissolvable stitches below the skin, and then I place very very small nonabsorbable stitches externally in the skin, which I remove in my office at 5-7 days.  If you talked to 10 different Plastic Surgeons, you would probably hear 10 different ways of doing this part of the surgery.

The incision will continue to look better and better each day.  At six days, it is still very early for you.  Be patient.  You will likely be happy once you give it more time.  If it is still unacceptable to you after 3-4 weeks, you should at least bring it up to your surgeon.  He or she should be aware of this, and they can potentially revise it in a few months.  Best of luck!

Arian Mowlavi, MD, FACS (license on probation) · Answer

Creation of the belly button is one of the critical components to a successful tummy tuck surgery; I would follow up with your surgeon so that he/she can manage optimizing your healing. Please see link below to learn about the critical components to tummy tuck surgery.

Edward J. Domanskis, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

The healing process from any injury/surgery is up to a year. The scars look OK for a couple of weeks and then become worse for about a month or two and begin to get better thereafter. My suggestion for all my patients is to use ScaRxTape.com over the scars/injury for that intermediate phase to try and limit the scars from becoming overgrown and ugly.

Robert E. Zaworski, MD (retired) · Answer

You should see improvement on a daily basis.  Follow your surgeon's post op instructions for a successful outcome.

How long does it take for the belly button to heal after a tummy tuck?

Answers (9)

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