During abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, surgery, placement of the belly button is important to achieve a slim and proportionate silhouette. Read on as Dr. Cooper explains the importance of belly button placement for optimal results.
Many times, belly buttons are made too big or created too close to the abdominoplasty incision. In order to attain a natural looking result in an abdominoplasty it is important to place the incision relatively low and to create some length between the incision and the belly button by carefully locating the belly button relative to the incision so that it looks natural and appropriate, and makes the patient’s torso look longer.
The belly button position and location can affect the overall appearance of the abdomen because it’s a landmark; similar to the way the nipple and areola are a landmark on the breast, the belly button is a landmark on the abdomen. Therefore proper positioning of the belly button and proper diameter and sizing relative to the surrounding tissues and surface area of the patient is very important.
If anything, I will err on the side of making the belly button smaller, because it’s easier to enlarge a belly button than it is to make a large belly button smaller. I also err on the side of placing the belly button a little bit high because placing a belly button low can create confusion visually as it relates to the pubic area, the incision, and then the belly button. In order to create a proportionate, slim silhouette there should be a greater distance between the incision and the lower portion of the belly button than there should be between the incision and pubic area.
If you are interested in learning more about abdominoplasty in the Jupiter, FL area, contact our office today to schedule a consultation. Our staff strives to create a professional yet comfortable setting for all of our patients.