There are several key aspects of tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty) where the surgeon’s technique or judgment will influence the final aesthetic outcome. One of these is the creation of the new umbilicus, or belly button, in the final phase of the surgery. Many surgeons use a technique that leads to visible scarring around the entire circumference of the belly button and that may lead to a narrowing of the umbilical inset, creating a long thin oval shape too narrow to appear natural, or that may be too round and wide to be natural. The average natural inset (“innie”) belly button is not symmetric vertically.
Why Tummy Tuck Surgery Requires the Plastic Surgeon to Re-create the Belly Button?
When Dr. Zuckerman begins an abdominoplasty, he makes an incision very low on the abdomen from hip to hip. Then, he frees tissue upwards that he will later redrape after cutting away excess skin and tissue, tightening the abdomen. As part of this process, he must separate the umbilical stalk, the base of the belly button, from the abdominal tissue he will ultimately redrape. After redraping, Dr. Zuckerman must make an incision for the new belly button in the tissue newly located over the umbilical stalk. Lastly, he will reattach the umbilical stalk to the edges of the incision he has created.
The Techniques Vary for Creating the New Umbilicus During Tummy Tuck Surgery
Almost all of the techniques in use do maintain the preoperative position of the belly button, but they vary in the ultimate external aesthetic appearance. Many plastic surgeons create a circular incision and reattach all parts of the incision to the umbilical stalk. However, as you can see in the middle image, this leads to scarring circumferentially around the entire belly button, which does not appear natural. In addition, a natural inset umbilicus is not vertically symmetric: it most often has a “hooded” appearance at the top. Dr. Zuckerman’s technique maintains that structure and hides most scarring inside the belly button. In addition, he performs two other specific techniques to optimize the aesthetic appearance of the belly button: one to deepen it and one to ensure that the belly button sits flat in the lower abdomen.
The image in this section demonstrates well the differences between the three belly button appearances: a natural belly button, the “old” suboptimal technique, and Dr. Zuckerman’s more natural-looking technique. What do you think? If you have further questions about Dr. Zuckerman’s umbilicus reconstruction technique, he will be happy to discuss in further detail at your initial tummy tuck consultation at Zuckerman Plastic Surgery.
Other Items to Consider for Tummy Tuck Surgery
There are several hallmarks of a high-quality tummy tuck, which Dr. Zuckerman explains in his guide to the surgery and in the explanation of his proprietary tummy tuck techniques. As noted above, your surgical outcome from abdominoplasty depends on the experience and judgment of your plastic surgeon in a way that other types of cosmetic surgery do not. For example, Dr. Zuckerman includes liposuction of the abdomen and flanks in all his tummy tucks to ensure a flat, athletic, contoured appearance to the abdomen. It is important that the plastic surgeon place the proper amount of tension on the abdominal incision after redraping your tissue. Dr. Zuckerman’s tummy tuck technique allows him to avoid assuming a particular elasticity to the tissue until the final phase of surgery when he is ready to close his incision. In other words, he never struggles to “stretch” the abdominal tissue to reach his initial incision low on the abdomen, but he still ensures a tight, smooth, flat contour. This means Dr. Zuckerman can also avoid issues with healing or uneven contours. Most of this knowledge comes from his experience in doing many of these procedures over the years, and Dr. Zuckerman recommends that if you cannot travel to New York to visit Zuckerman Plastic Surgery, that you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon.
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