Belly button pain - what could it be? (Photo)

Dear Modest369,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what is wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello Modest369. Thank you for your question regarding the persistent pain in your belly button following your tummy tuck.

Given your CT scan results showing minimal skin thickening without any signs of a hernia or mass, and considering the pain you describe, it's possible that the issue may be related to the suturing technique used during your abdominoplasty. If your rectus abdominis muscle was plicated with permanent sutures, the pain and the knot-like feeling you are experiencing could potentially be due to a suture knot or a suture that has become loose or is irritating the surrounding tissues.

Since the pain is significantly affecting your daily activities and fitness routine, and conservative measures do not seem to alleviate your discomfort, a surgical exploration might be warranted. This procedure would involve accessing the area via your existing tummy tuck scar to examine and possibly adjust or remove the problematic suture.

I recommend discussing this option with your plastic surgeon to determine the best course of action. It is important to address this issue so that it does not continue to impact your quality of life.

I hope this response provides a clear direction toward resolving the discomfort you are experiencing. Wishing you relief and a quick return to your regular activities.

Sincerely,

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FASMBS, FICS
Plastic Surgeon

You mentioned your surgeon sent you for a CT scan but did you also go into the office for an evaluation? I encourage you to see your surgeon for an in person evaluation. If needed she/he can refer you to a specialist.

Think about the connection between the surgical procedure in 2021 and the pain you are experiencing right now. But I would still like to tell you about the process that took place during the surgical procedure. During Tummy Tuck Surgery, we take particular care not to change the location of the Belly Button.In tummy tuck surgeries, the belly button is really important for the aesthetic appearance of the abdomen. We cannot take away this special case aesthetic from our patients. Normally, we do not change the inner part of the belly button, that is, the part connected to the inner part of the abdomen, in any way during the surgery. We continue that part where we left off. However, we combine the excess skin inside with the lower part of the removed area by pulling the upper skin downwards. If the original belly button is sleeping on the floor, we create a new place on the skin and come out of the belly button on the floor. However, this procedure must be done with a special technique and the scars must be visible from the outside, so I take care of this. We are trying to make the belly button in its original form using a special technique. Let's get to your question: Why do you have belly pain? It would be beneficial for you to see a gynecologist. The area you mention and the pain you describe may be in the lower part of the abdomen, below the navel. The pain arising from this region is called pelvic pain. In the pelvic area, there are the ovaries, uterus, vagina, anus, the lower parts, places and subcenters of the thick outlets. Diseases of these organs often cause pelvic pain. The pain you also feel in our hearts.Pelvic pain can be acute or chronic. Those with sudden onset are called acute, while those lasting more than 6 months are called chronic.The purpose of listing it among the Gynecological Causes is to inform you, but not to provide a treatment. If there is fever along with the pain, or tenderness in the pelvic area, pelvic pain, vaginal bad odor change and change bleeding. PID can become chronic and cause chronic pain. To summarize briefly, you should see a gynecologist.

You would think plastic surgeons would be able to help you with a plastic surgery related problem.
The problem with that is that chronic pain is not something plastic surgeons are trained to assess or treat.
It’s not a surgical problem.
Your best bet is to seek the advice of pain management specialist.
Pain management is often done by people with an anesthesiology background, but there are people from different backgrounds who have completed training in pain management.
Your best bet is to seek the advice of pain management specialist.
Pain management is often done by people with a anesthesiology background, but there are people from different backgrounds who have completed training in pain management.
It could potentially be useful to block the area with local anesthesia to see if that relieves the discomfort.
If it does, then it tells you there is a physical manifestation related to the discomfort.
The fact that your discomfort is not reproducible, or there is no tenderness makes the situation more difficult and less likely that you’ll find a true ideology.
In the end, some sources of pain are never found, and it simply is the new normal.
Chronic pain is actually quite common and millions of people have to learn to deal with it.
Sometimes there is no answer and sometimes there is no solution.
It’s unlikely you’ll find either from the plastic surgery community.
I wish I could be a bit optimistic but working with pain management Doctors is probably better than your plastic surgeon.Chronic pain after a full tummy tuck is not common or normal, but it does happen.
I think I’ve had a couple of patients that have had ongoing discomfort from this procedure.
The most common reason of having pain after a full tummy tuck is excess visceral fat causing increased intra-abdominal pressure.
I do not think that is the case for you.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD