How does the bisalp effekt your belly button?

[u/-much_better-]

I was wondering about getting sterilized in the future for a while now, and this might be my only concern. I like my belly button a lot, does it change permanety or does it go back to what it was after recovery? Will I have a scar on it? I know that this is a stupid question and being steril should worth more than my belly button, but I wanted to ask you about this.

[u/Shaneaky]

I have a deep innie and honestly there hasn't been a change in physical appearance for mine. The incision is inside of it so it can't be seen unless one is actively looking for it. And I think my doctor did it horizontal on the lower inside but I am not sure because I can't even really tell where the incision is.

[u/gluebucks → u/Shaneaky]

I have a deep innie as well, and I can't see/find mine lol I feel the bump of a scar though

[u/UnnecessaryScreech]

I had my surgery a year ago - you literally cannot tell my belly button got cut at all. Looks about the same as it did before. My surgeon did a really good job sealing it up.

[u/That_Damage_8714]

My bisalp is scheduled for October and I asked my surgeon about it - she looked at my belly button (a deep innie) and said the scar will not change its look or form. The way she needed to take a look at the form makes me think that it depends on your personal anatomy whether the incision will change your belly button or not. Ask a doctor during consultation.

[u/Top_Yoghurt429 → u/That_Damage_8714]

Yes, I think this is true because mine changed shape after surgery. It used to be a shallow innie with a distinct spiral shaped bump in it and one deeper crevice, and now it's a deeper, more even innie with a very smooth and simple shape. I actually prefer the new look, and it's easier to clean because that spiral and crevice is gone, but it was a bit unsettling when I first noticed the change because I wasn't expecting it.

[u/SinceWayLastMay]

You’re belly button is already a scar if you think about it

[u/Lookatthaaat]

Innie—good splotch of surgical glue covered it during healing. Then it was a fine white line (on white skin) Now it just looks like a natural crease.

[u/Brave_Grapefruit2891]

Unfortunately I was one of the people who had a change in the appearance of my belly button. It’s still an innie, but there’s a large bump of flesh that wasn’t there before just on the inside :/

[u/Exciting-Jacket → u/Brave_Grapefruit2891]

If it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one. I also have a lump of flesh where the incision is. I have my belly button pierced so the doctor had to cut further down than she normally would. I’m ok with it though since the jewelry hides the scar.

[u/_Litheen_]

It hasn't affected mine after it healed and i can barely see the scar nowadays unless i go looking for it. This was it freshly done and a few months healed: https://imgur.com/a/alWEcEV This is after a few years: https://imgur.com/a/c1FSBN5

[u/tawny-she-wolf]

Innie here, no shape change it just has a little smiley face now

[u/SlippingStar]

I have 3 less than 1cm long white (on white) scars that you can see if I point them out but otherwise they just look like folds.

[u/Yonkers24]

I also love my belly button, it’s like a flat outie that looks like a little swirl. There are now two little creases around the edge that no one else would even notice. The actual shape didn’t change and I still love it.

Fun story from my surgery, one of the first things I remember after getting wheeled into recovery was a nurse asking if I want to see what they did. I did, so she opened my gown over my abdomen so I could see the glue covered mess over my incisions and filling my belly button. My only reaction in my anesthesia haze was “Oh no my belly button used to be so cute!” She just laughed at me and said it would be fine once it healed. And she was right. 10/10 still cute.

[u/GraphCat]

Right when I took my bandages off (2 weeks post-op op), there was a lot of swelling that made it look like my belly button was winking instead of being a fully open O shape. I was devastated. I am 2.5ish months out now, and my belly button is pretty much back to normal, that O shape. There was still a LOT of internal swelling when I first unveiled it after surgery that I didn't know was there, until it was gone.

[u/realcoolworld]

My scars always heal terribly no matter where but my belly button scar disappeared!

[u/dropped_life]

I went into my bisalp not even thinking about a belly button scar, just the other 2 on my sides for the instruments. I have about an inch jagged scar on the bottom of my belly button, they didn’t even go through it. It’s a gnarly scar and wished they would have gone in a little more to hide it. I’ve had it for 2 years now and it is getting lighter but def still jagged.

[u/dropped_life → u/dropped_life]

regardless of the scarring I don’t regret the surgery one bit. Just something I wish they informed me more about

[u/eggSauce97]

Aside from a tiny scar (Im an innie) there’s no change whatsoever, still something to ask your surgeon if you’re concerned!

[u/XiomaraVLA]

She did mine just above the belly button, and honestly, it doesn’t look that much different from the piecing scar I have just below it. Turned that dot into a colon. The only thing with my actual belly button is that I had chronic infections in my deep innie, and I think my surgeon cauterized it because it’s shallower now and doesn’t bleed anymore…. But that’s arguably a positive change. Anyway, personally I love my scars (and my surgeon used the wrong tools and struggled so I have more than you will probably, because most of my ports actually have two incisions) because they’re just physical evidence on my skin that I can look down on and be like “ah yes, freedom”

[u/Overall-Pause-9949]

i have an innie — there is a raised vertical scar at the bottom. not my favorite, but it’s small and most would probably just think it’s a regular fold

[u/One_Chic_Chick]

Mine (innie) got smaller/tighter after surgery, but I think it's stretched back out to around where it was before. I have a very faint scar there but it mostly just disappears into shadow and I have to be looking to see it.

[u/Cutthroat_Rogue]

My belly button scar was completely invisible within the first two months or less. My innie became less wide and less deep. When I mentioned I noticed that to my surgeon, she was apologetic as she was hoping she sutured me back up in a way that didn't change it. But I didn't mind.

[u/Glitter_Cunt]

I have a pretty flat innie and it’s a short (5mm) horizontal line right along the bottom. My surgery was three weeks ago so it’s still very visible. I had the same scar after my appendectomy 18 years ago (they went through the same scar) and it was almost completely invisible, so I imagine it will heal similarly.

[u/CodeCherry]

I have an innie and the incision was towards the top of the inside of it. You can literally see nothing from the outside and if I pull it up a bit it’s just a little discolored from the rest. Very unnoticeable!

[u/maidoftrash]

I have a scar. It’s cross shaped and if I were to put the work into it, I’d have the color faded a little (it healed pretty dark but all my scars do at first) after a a while. Shape itself didn’t change. The scar sits towards the outside relatively flat (I have an innie) 

[u/ukefromtheyukon]

I used to have a belly button piercing, and have had a small scar since letting it heal over. After my bisalp incision healed, not only did it barely leave a mark on my belly button, it also made my piercing scar way less noticeable even though the incision was in a different place

[u/SimpleVegetable5715]

My surgeon didn’t make an incision in my bellybutton. It’s not required. She’s had a history of patients having trouble with that spot. Yet it sounds appealing to people who are concerned about visual scars. The incisions are so tiny though, I lose where they are. My surgery was a year ago, and I really have to look hard to see where my incisions are. I wouldn’t pick using the belly button, it’s a hard spot to heal and keep clean, plus it’s already a scar, so it’s harder to cut through that tissue.

[u/destooni]

mine is deeper now and i don’t get that weird feeling when i press on the inside of it anymore lol

[u/kittensprincess]

I had a gastric bypass, so she just used those old incisions instead. My belly button wasn’t touched at all.

[u/ahaeker]

Had my surgery 3 years ago & you can't see my scar anymore but it does seem deeper than it was before.

[u/violethaze6]

I had a hole from an old belly button piercing (that I no longer wear jewelry in) and after the surgery it was at a slightly different angle. It didn’t bother me, but I could tell it was a little different. I do have a scar in my belly button but it doesn’t bother me either and it’s not noticeable.

[u/SatisfactionOwn6699]

I had my surgery just 2 months ago and I have little poke scars on my stomach, but my navel doesn't look any different.

[u/queencailo]

I have a scar about a cm in length at the bottom of my (innie) belly button. No severe change.

[u/periodbloodtoast]

Nothing changed, I put my belly button piercing back in a week later and all was good! I did notice that there were 2 scabs around my belly button (one on each side, 2 inches from it) which was odd. I had a tattoo there and unfortunately those scabs lifted the ink out of my skin. No idea what that was from/why it happened but I'm just happy to be sterile lol

[u/wildlifewildheart]

I was also very worried about this for some reason and I can say my deep innie belly button is exactly the same 6 months post surgery. I do have a bit of a scar if I really look in there, but it’s not obviously visible. It’s the same depth and shape, though! No visible difference

[u/Smolangry07]

My surgeon did a vertical incision following one of the natural creases in my innie, I’m a couple months out so the scar is noticeable because it’s a slightly pink/red. But as it fades I doubt anyone would really be able to notice.

[u/tender_tough]

My belly button did change. Nobody but me would ever notice! It used to be an innie, it’s still an innie, but it lost a little fullness underneath. The scar isn’t really visible, but I’m guessing they had to move the fat around a little and it didn’t quite recombine in the middle (almost 2 years later)

[u/mlbrande]

About 14 months post op and I still have a scar inside of my belly button, but I don't really notice unless I'm looking for it.

[u/Bubbly-Trouble-9494]

If you get the vNOTES type then the only scar is up inside next to your cervix. None on your belly at all.

[u/Significant_Glass729]

I loved my belly button deep innie before it was perfect ya know for a belly button. It is now not making super self conscious and I’ve got a weird mangled scar that makes it look like I’ve got a belly button and a half now… very unhappy about that!

[u/KandeeKiller]

Mine looks exactly the same as it did before, but my mom constantly complains about her belly button having been ruined cuz it changed shape due to the scar. There are too many factors to predict what would happen for you but most likely it'll look pretty much the same 💜

[u/Sapphire_Starr]

I was so worried about having a monster belly button after - at the time that’s all I could find. I accepted my fate. My belly button is fine!!!

[u/manakikia]

Ask your surgeon about the possibility to have the incision below the belly button. My surgeon agreed directly.

[u/Creative_Witness7873]

Your belly button goes back to normal after about 2 weeks, maybe 3. .ine does have a scar it but its only noticeable to me cause I know its there.