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Umbilicoplasty, or belly button surgery, is a surgical procedure to change the appearance, position, size or direction of the navel; also known as umbilicus or “belly button”.
There are several reasons one may undergo belly button surgery. These include:
- Umbilical hernia;
- Wanting an introverted (“innie”) instead of a protruding (“outie”) belly button;
- Unhappy with the appearance of the belly button – too big/small/odd shape etc.;
- To fix any holes from piercings;
- Wrong positioning – often after trauma, surgery or child birth the positioning of the belly button can change, or the position was unusual from birth;
- Excessive weight loss – losing a lot of weight leaves you with overstretched skin which can create extra skin folds.
Belly button surgery is often performed along with a tummy tuck or liposuction where several issues are being addressed at once. However, it is also performed on its own.
In most cases, if it is being performed on its own, belly button surgery is able to be performed under a local anaesthesia. You may also be given a sedative. Unless there are complications or it is a more involved surgery, the procedure should take approximately 1 to 2 hours.
The nature of the procedure depends on the issue being addressed. Your doctor will be able to discuss the details of your procedure with you at your consultation. Ask them to specify exactly what the operation will entail.
Risks & Complications
As with any surgery there are risks. Those specific to belly button surgery may include:
- The belly button not reshaped or placed as desired;
- Swelling;
- Bruising;
- Pain or discomfort;
- Bleeding;
- Infection.
It is recommended that after surgery you wear loose-fitting clothing and keep the area dry and clean to reduce the risk of infection.
Should you experience any unexpected bleeding, higher than expected pain or obvious infection you should see your doctor immediately.
Q. Will there be scars after the belly button procedure?
A. There should be minimal scarring due to any incisions being hidden and dissolvable stitches being placed inside the belly button or internally.
Q. Are the results permanent?
A. It should be permanent. However, the results can be affected if the patient becomes pregnant, or gains excessive weight.
Q. What is the recovery time?
A. It is advised that you should be back to light activities the day after the surgery, but it may take up to a week to get back to normal due to swelling and minimal pain. It depends on the physical nature of your work as to whether you need time off or not – if you work in an office and do not have to do any strenuous physical activities, you can be back at work the next day.
It depends on which surgeon you choose and which hospital the surgery will be performed at. Our research identified the cost to be anywhere between $1,800 and $5,000.