8 Years Since Tummy Tuck. Navel Has Never Healed. Frequent Discharge with Foul Odor. Help

Hi Wayne, read your information and initially thought that this was a routine case of a retained suture (AKA foreign body) causing your symptoms. However, your history of a revision finding hair makes me think that what you really have may be a Pilonidal cyst (or more correctly, 'sinus'). These are rare, and likely under diagnosed in the umbilicus. Normally seen near the buttock cleft, they contain hair and cellular debris which causes inflammation and discharge. Standard treatment is to excise the umbilicus, but if the sinus tract can be identified and excised one can avoid removing the entire umbilicus. Unfortunately, recurrence rate can be as high as 30-40%.

My advise is to seek a plastic surgeon who completed a general surgery training program or a general surgeon who routinely treats Pilonidal cysts. Good luck.

Dear Wayne,

 

It sounds like you are having a real problem with this.  You have put up with it for 8 years!

I don't blame you for wanting the belly button removed and of course, this is an option.  I agree with the other contributors that it is most likely due to a chronically infected foreign body and is worth exploration.  If you are very hairy, have you tried shaving the area around the belly button and keeping the area religiously clean to see if it may dry up?  Also if you are overweight and a smoker, this will not help the healing.

I really hope that you can get this sorted out.  Good luck!