Natural-Looking Umbilicus as an Important Part of Abdominoplasty

The umbilicus is an important and essential aesthetic component of the abdomen. Many surgeons use different methods to relocate umbilicus during abdominoplasties. We prefer to use a simple combination of different well-known principles to form the neo-umbilicus. The main steps of the procedure are to make an elliptical vertical incision, to do vertical abdominal fascial plication, to embed the umbilical stalk in this plication by suturing the umbilical skin and the rectus fascia together to maintain the umbilical dimple, to place it at the vertical incision made in the abdominal skin at a predetermined point. Silk sutures are used for the abdominal fascial plication and neo-umbilical fixation. Liposuction from the neo-umbilicus to xiphoid along the midline of the upper abdomen creates a minimal superior sulcus. In each patient, a three-dimensional umbilicus with sufficient depression was obtained. All patients, including one case with complications, were pleased by the final aesthetic results. This study has been presented at the XVI Congress of ISAPS held in Istanbul, Turkey, May 26–29, 2002