Question:
Anyon have a panniculectomy and lose your belly button

I am getting scheduled at the beginning of next year, after insurance approval, for my paaniculectomy and hernia repair. My doctor says that i have a very tiny hernia, that is not what bothers me. He said with the panniculectomy I may lose my belly button. Anyone else have this happen and how does it look? How do you feel about it? Thank you Holly    — Holly H. (posted on November 14, 2004)

November 13, 2004
Hi Holly, I just had a triple hernia repair and abdominal plasty done on Sept 23. I no longer have my belly button. The doc and I discussed the belly button beforehand and I said that I can live without it, its not like Im going to wear a bikini, I also had open WLS, so Im scared here there and everywhere. Its funny because you really dont even notice that the belly button is gone. If I had a choice to have a button and the hangy stuff, or loose the button and the hangy stuff I would choose to loose the button, which I did. But don't worry its really no big thing. Good luck to you on your upcoming surgery,, and welcome to the no belly button club,, :-) Amy
   — Amy Hoffman

November 14, 2004
I do not understand why you have to lose your belly button. I just had a consult with my ps, and he is submitting to my insurance for a Panniculetomy and we discussed the belly button, and he told me that I would lose the large strecthed belly button I have now, and he would make a nice small "inny" belly button for me.
   — cindy

November 14, 2004
Tiger Lily tattoo artist in Stockton,Minnesota can make you a fabulous image of a belly button..Seriously I have seen her do it..Just an idea
   — Kathy S.

November 14, 2004
I had a panniculectomy done 2 months ago. My old belly button was removed along with 7 pounds of skin. My PS made me a NEW belly button and it is absolutely perfect. I never paid much notice to it before, but just love being able to actually see my new one!! Good luck with your upcoming surgery and maybe you could ask your surgeon about making you a new one?
   — Jeannie4

November 14, 2004
My original BB survived my TT, but it healed flat. It looked perfect, but the dent went away. ??? When I had my revision of WLS, I told them to just take it away, but no, they built me one. Looked exactly like the original, too. But it healed flat. LOL! Now, the doc SAID it was because there was not enough fat there to make a ridge/circle around it, so the put some there, but it apparently migrated. I have no idea if that's true, but it sounded really nice to me (not enough fat somewhere?). So, I actually have the outline of a BB and slight indentation, but in reality, it can't "pass" as a BB. Of course, I don't usually hang it out in public, so it's not like EVERYONE knows. WEll, they do now, of course.
   — vitalady

November 14, 2004
when I had my LBL the doctor told me there was a significant chance that I would lose my Belly button. sometimes when there is surgery around it , the blood supply to the BB can become compromised. He said if it looked IFFY he would take it off, He also said some people lose the blood supply and the BB sloughs off.I was appalled at the thought of possibly losing my BB, But decided better to risk losing it than to keep the excess skin. My plan B was if I lost my BB I was going to tatoo something where it belonged. As it turned out It all came out ok. My first words out of anesthesia "do I have a belly button?" yes and it is really cute little one was the answer. I have to say I am SO very thrilled with the results of my flat tucked tummy that if I lost my BB it would have been ok.
   — **willow**

November 14, 2004
I just wanted to add, that I was grateful that my doctor prepared me for pretty much anything that could have happened. If I had woken up with out a BB and not been told in advance I would have freaked out. This way I had a choice and went in with full knowledge. So even tho I worried and didn't really need to i am grateful for his total honesty.
   — **willow**

November 15, 2004
I want to thank everyone who answered this question. I really am not worried about no belly button, I mean it does not serve any kind of importance now anyway...considering I am no longer in the womb LOL. I totally will be glad to give up my BB for no yucky hanging fat! After all, I have my health What more can I ask for. Holly
   — Holly H.