What determines the type of bellybutton a person has after a tummy tuck?

Depending on the results you want, board certified PS may change the shape, size, and often the position of your navel. An outie can be changed to an innie. The PS's aesthetic style and your preferences are both considered in designing the new bellybutton.

There are many different techniques for the bellybutton with a tummy tuck. With any abdominoplasty, an incision is made around your current umbilicus leaving the stalk. As the skin flap is excised and redraped, a new opening is designed for the bellybutton. The type of incision may be surgeon and/or patient preference; also depends on patient anatomy.

Dear PSB00,
it is hard to tell for sure without an examination. You should discuss your surgery goals with your plastic surgeon prior to surgery. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

There are many ways to do the belly button and it seems each surgeon has their favorite. A recent study has shown that cutting it out and insettting it as a circle is best.

Thank you for sharing your question. A patient can certainly voice their interests in the style of belly button pursued but many factors go into it including the surgical technique, tension of the skin and stalk of the belly button, a patient's natural healing tendencies, etc.

You bring up an excellent talking point with regard to belly button shape after tummy tuck.
During this type of surgery and incision is made around the belly button which has a stalk attached to the abdominal wall. The redundant skin is then pulled down and trimmed and an incision is made at the same site as the belly button stalk to bring it out. So the belly button will be in the same location as before surgery.
Generally speaking, your belly button should maintain a similar shape as before surgery. If you did indeed have an innie bellybutton prior to pregnancy it should be possible to retain that shape and form. Sometimes scarring can affect the postoperative shape of the belly button, and this must be taken into consideration. However belly button re-creation is an important part of abdominoplasty and board-certified plastic surgeons take extreme care to create the most aesthetic shaped belly button. Consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon in our area to explore all options for you. Good luck!

That’s a fantastic question, and something that you should certainly speak about with a board-certified plastic surgeon prior to your procedure. Typically, a skilled surgeon will keep the natural shape and size of your belly button but it also depends on the patient's anatomy and the technique used by your surgeon. Your belly button would be in the same location that it was in prior to your surgery, the way that this is done is that the skin around your abdomen is pulled down and excess skin is removed, preserving your belly button along the way, then once the skin has been pulled down a new hole is made for your belly button to come back through. But if you have an ideal vision of what you’d like your belly button to look like its’ a terrific idea to show/ explain this to your surgeon in advance.

This is a crucial consideration that can sometimes be overlooked when searching for the right surgeon!
An unnatural looking belly button can be an instant giveaway that a patient has had a tummy tuck. Generally, the idea of a pretty and natural belly button is one that is more of an innie than an outie and somewhat vertically oriented into an oval shape. The anatomy of the patient (the location of the top of the hip bones, etc.) definitely plays a factor during surgery. The look of the belly button is also dependent on the comfortability and technique of the surgeon. The most helpful thing to do when researching a surgeon is to view the before and after pictures to make sure their work is something that appeals to you!

Thanks for your question. To answer your last question first, the belly button is always put in the same location after a full tummy tuck. In fact it doesn't move at all - the skin is released around the belly button and then when the excess tummy skin is pulled downward, a new hole is made and the belly button comes back out.Regarding the shape, there are many different ways of making that hole and this influences the appearance. The hole can be round, a vertical ellipse (my preferred option), an upside down smile, an H-shape, etc. If you have a particular appearance in mind you should discuss in detail with your plastic surgeon. All the best - Dr. Nicolas Hynes

Addressing the belly button varies by surgeon technique as well as the type of tummy tuck performed. Viewing before/after photos of tummy tuck patients by various surgeons may help guide you to a surgeon who can meet your criteria.