Question:
Where does your belly button go after a TT?
This may seem like a sily question - but where does your belly button go after a TT? If they pull a lot of skin down, then your belly button goes with it. I found on some plastic surgery sites that they specifically say that they make a new belly button. However, I've also read in people's weight loss stories that they "lost" their belly button in their TT. What's the scoop? If you get a "new" one, does it look "natural'? I'm still pre-op, but you can tell I'm obsessing about everything! — w8free (posted on May 21, 2003)
May 21, 2003
ok interesting question here, my ps, (my tt surgery is june 4th) explained
he will cut a new hole and move the old one up to the new hole. does that
make sense? i have read where some people lose their belly button but im
not sure what is up with that, i thought you had to have one. I am keeping
mine i even told my ps that i want it to be extra cute he said he make sexy
ones so well see what happens good luck to you!
— Deanna Wise
May 21, 2003
The plastic surgeon can remove it completely or do like my surgeon did.
Basically, the belly button is a tube, called a stalk, that connects inside
you. The surgeon cut the stalk down to about 2 inches from the base,
pulled down the excess skin, cut a hole in it where my stalk was, pulled it
through the hole and sutured it around the edges. It was EXACTLY where my
old one was when I was a kid and before I stretched out the stalk to about
7 inches (that required one LONG Q-Tip!). Since I had to have some seroma
repairs, it is now about 1 inch lower and a little to the left, but to be
quite frank, it looks MAH-VELOUS!!! I have even had thoughts about getting
a belly button ring! Fleeting thoughts, but thoughts none the less!!!
— merri B.
May 21, 2003
My doctor gave me a new belly button because he said the old one was too
big and fat for new little belly. It looks VERY realistic and anyone who
has seen it thinks it's always been there!!
— Patty H.
May 21, 2003
A good plastic surgeon will make you a new one. Your belly button is
actually a "stalk". They disconnect it (I don't think that's the
medical term :) when they pull the skin down, then make a new opening and
sew it back. Mine looks great. Better than my old one which was all
stretched out.
— mom2jtx3
May 21, 2003
I've recently had surgery to repair hernias and got the TT at the same
time. I love a good two fer deal. LOL Anyway, I was worried as well about
loseing my belly button. I picked out a cute little frog tatoo to replace
my button just in case. Turns out they repositioned my button and it looks
good. Kinda long instead of round. My surgeon said as the swelling goes
down it will reshape itself. I'm still waiting for it to go back to being
round. I may still opt for the tatoo beside my new belly button to make it
look a bit cute. Everyone is different it all depends on the patient and
the surgeon. Best of luck, Hope I was of compfort to you. Becky
— perpetualuv
May 22, 2003
Good question, seeing I'm really thinking about having a tummy tuck, my 12
month anniversary is this Saturday and a way to congratulate myself, I was
thinking I would get a belly button peirce, how-ever if in the event I get
my tt, that would be a waste of a pericing seeing it might vanish.... I'll
pop in again... to check it out
— tannedtigress
May 22, 2003
— Anne R.
May 22, 2003
I just saw a plastic surgeon last week about having a TT. He said I will
lose my bellybutton, but he will not fashion me a new one. He said it's one
of those things you don't need and it just collect lint.LOL
— bbjnay
May 22, 2003
Prior to pulling all of the excess skin down they make an incision around
your belly button and it lives on a little stock. And, when they have
pulled all of the excess skin down they make an incision and pull your
belly buttom through and they suture the belly buttom back to the skin. It
stays in the same location it is just attached to new skin.
Some patients have had prior laproscopic surgeries and the stock of the
belly buttom has been cut and the surgeon is unable to reattach it. Hope
this helps. R.
— Rebecca L.
May 22, 2003
Last night on my new FAVORITE TV show -- Extreme Makeovers -- they did a TT
on a lady. Cut off what seemed like a lot. They pulled the skin from
under her breasts DOWN and sewed it to the sking above her pelvic area.
THEN they fashioned a new belly button for her. The old one was GONE! The
new one looked pretty real to me!
— Allee Z.
May 22, 2003
Your umbilicus, or belly button still remains where it originally was
'attached' but the skin around it moves, so they have to cut a hole in the
skin and pull it back through and stitch it. Wow, that is tough to explain.
Let me try it again... When they cut you from hipbone to hipbone, the loose
skin on your belly is detached from the underlying tissues and pulled down
like a window shade...and all the excess at the bottom is cut off. When
they pull down the 'window shade' it covers your old belly button, so they
have to cut a new hole in the shade to match up where your belly button is
located. Is that better? Another thing,let me say...DO NOT GO TO A PLASTIC
SURGEON FOR A TUMMY TUCK THAT DOESNT MAKE A 'NEW' BELLY BUTTON FOR YOU! If
the guy cant make a nice new little cute belly button, he sucks as a
surgeon. If he cant make a nice new belly button for you, he isnt qualified
to do the rest of the surgery. My new belly button is fantastic and I love
showing it off! My surgeon has a cool trick where it turned out just as
cute as Britney Spears...lol. There is a great site called
tuckthattummy.com with amazing information, make sure you find the message
board and talk to the gals about their belly buttons too. ciao, Suze
— SusanMaria
May 22, 2003
If you have an abdominoplasty done by a plastic surgeon where they tighten
the abdominal muscles as well as removing skin, they surgeon can make a new
belly button. I had a panniculectomy which is just removal of skin and
some fat and the belly button was cut off. The surgeon who did my Open RNY
did my panniculectomy and hernia repair so I didn't use a plastic surgeon.
My insurance won't pay for an abdominoplasty as it is considered cosmetic.
— Patty_Butler
May 22, 2003
I haven't seen it yet, but my best friend had abdominoplasty/tummy tuck
yestarday. Her surgeon reassured her that he would cut around and take out
her belly button only to replace it after removing all her skin. I have
heard some poeple just don't have one anymore. Maybe it depends on your
surgeon?!
— candylnd24
May 23, 2003
I had a TT three weeks ago. They removed the belly button and then
replanted it where it should go. It looks great very natural. I can't
wait to wear shirts this summer that show my belly button. I think it
depends on how much skin you have. It seems to be people that had a lot of
excess skin that loses their belly button. I only had two pounds removed.
I didn't even go down a size in clothes but it removed all of my stretch
marks from kids and the wrinkled look.
— Linda A.
May 23, 2003
I have my TT about 3 months ago. When the skin is being pulled downwards,
a circle is cut around the belly button. It appears to be a new one...and
yes, it does look quite natural. Good luck!
— Cindy T.
May 23, 2003
In most cases, the plastic surgeon just moves your existing belly button up
to a new, higher location. The ones I've seen look pretty good -- there's
just a faint scar that circles around it. It does look natural.
— Tally
May 27, 2003
Thank you all for taking the time to answer my post. That's a lot of great
information! I appreciate it. We'll see - I'm still many steps away from
worrying about this, but it's good to be prepared! Hugs!
— w8free
Click Here to Return