A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is a procedure in which the belly is sculpted and flattened to create a more appealing silhouette. It’s perfect for patients who have undergone pregnancy experienced significant weight changes, or have not seen improvement through lifestyle changes.
But you should be prepared for what to expect following the process, including how your belly button can change. During the tummy tuck surgery, Dr. K makes a horizontal incision between the belly button and pubic area to clear excess fat and skin tissue. The belly button may be adjusted through a nearby incision, allowing the tissue to conform to the new shape around your abdomen.
Dr. K is here to help you understand tummy tuck scars and how surgical techniques can avoid a belly button that appears unnatural.
Tummy tuck surgery requires recreating the belly button
There are several critical aspects of tummy tuck surgery where the surgeon’s technique influences the final aesthetic outcome. An example is creating a new umbilicus, or belly button, during the final phase of the surgery.
Full abdominoplasty involves a scar around your belly button because it will still be attached to the abdominal wall during the tummy tuck, causing a scar to form a circle around it. Many surgeons use a technique that narrows the umbilical inset, creating a long, thin oval shape. This shape may be too narrow or round and wide to appear natural; the average inset belly button is not symmetric vertically and has a small “hood” at the top.
The stages of a tummy tuck scar
Scars play a vital role in your healing and are your body's natural way of helping you replace and repair lost or damaged skin. Surgical incisions generally involve the following scar stages:
- Closure: When the skin is broken or an incision, your body releases collagen fibers to close the wound and fill in the gaps.
- Establishment: The collagen fibers continue to build, becoming stronger with time. Additionally, the blood supply around scarred areas will increase to protect further and strengthen the wound, causing the scar to darken and become thicker.
- Maturity: Enough collagen fibers have been formed at the scar, and the blood supply around it will decrease. The scar becomes thinner, lighter, and less noticeable.
Technique influences scar appearance
Nearly all tummy tuck surgical techniques maintain the preoperative position of the belly button but vary in aesthetic appearance.
As was previously mentioned, many plastic surgeons create a circular incision and reattach all parts of the incision to the umbilical stalk. However, this technique causes scarring circumferentially around the entire belly button, which does not appear natural. Dr. K’s surgical approach maintains that structure while minimizing and hiding most scarring inside the belly button for a more natural appearance.
Dr. Kiwanuka: an expert in wound healing and tissue engineering
Dr. Elizabeth Kiwanuka, the founder of Core Aesthetics, obtained her Ph.D. in wound healing and tissue engineering. She has been featured in multiple articles and publications related to scar healing, including:
- The external microenvironment of healing skin wounds
- Assessing the quality of healing in skin: a review of available methods and devices
- Harnessing growth factors to influence wound healing
At her practice, she combines state-of-the-art skin-tightening and muscle-building techniques to restore youthfulness and grace to her patients’ physiques. Above all, Dr. Kiwanuka prioritizes her patients’ individuality and ensures they receive treatments that help them reach their goals, leaving her office looking and feeling their best.
To learn more about Dr. K’s tummy tuck technique for reducing belly button scars, contact us to schedule a consultation.
