Have you ever wondered why your belly button never looked the same after pregnancy and childbirth? Well, there are a couple of reasons, all of which can be corrected with Mommy-Makeover procedures at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica. Our office is dedicated to body sculpting options that can make you feel sexier about your body and can redefine your post-childbirth you.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, our board-certified plastic surgeon and body sculpting expert identifies four common problems with the belly button after childbirth.
Belly Button Piercing Scar:
Well…it may be time to just lose that belly button piercing once and for all. Just like fashion trends in clothing, there are body trends that come and go, or just may need to go because they’re not as appropriate as they once were. Belly button piercings can cause the skin to stretch and sag on the upper part of the belly button. Taken out, they can result in a noticeable hole that may need to be repaired.
Fixing belly button piercing scars begins with a consultation in which we determine how much skin is sagging and how noticeable the scar is from a distance. Repairs usually take less than thirty minutes and can be done with local anesthetic.
Diastasis Recti:
This is sometimes a tough problem to fix. Diastasis recti refers to a stretching of the fascia (muscle) layer that divides the two ab muscles on the abdominal wall. It results in a bulging of the stomach wall during crunches or exertive exercise. Unfortunately, diastasis rectus only self-corrects for a few months after childbirth, leaving you with a noticeable problem thereafter. Obstetricians and plastic surgeons recommend a ‘belly bandit’ after surgery to improve the condition as much as possible after childbirth.
Correcting diastasis recti is usually performed with a c-section type incision that allows Dr. Karamanoukian to visualize the muscles and tighten them with stitches placed from the xyphoid to the pubis. Recovery takes anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks.
C-Section Scars:
C-section scars can be indented, hypertrophic, keloid, or saggy. Dr. Karamanoukian is an expert in scar revision and can help you lower your scar or remove it altogether with a combination of liposuction, scar revision, and laser therapy. Sometimes, c-section scar revision can be combined with a tummy tuck in order to minimize scarring.
Umbilical Hernia:
An umbilical hernia is very common among women who have been pregnant. It results from a small defect in the abdominal wall that causes the intestines to poke out above the muscle fascia. Identifying an umbilical hernia is quite easy, as women usually have a progressively enlarging ‘outey’ on their belly button. Repair of an umbilical hernia is relatively straightforward and is covered by medical health insurance if there is medical necessity. Our office accepts the following insurance policies as an out-of-network provider.
Insurance Accepted: Santa Monica
Aetna
• Sony Aetna
• Lions Gate Entertainment Aetna
• United Airlines Aetna
• Bank of America Aetna
• City of Santa Monica Aetna
• United Embassy of Saudi Arabia Aetna
• Truecar Aetna
Anthem
• FOX Entertainment Anthem
• Universal Music Group Anthem
• Capital Partners Anthem
• Credit Suisse Anthem
• Time Warner Cable Anthem
• Shearman & Sterling LLP Anthem
• USC Anthem
• Lilly Anthem
• Medtronic Anthem
• Google Anthem
• Redbull Anthem
• Verizon West Anthem
• LA Firefighters Fund Anthem
Cigna
• Yahoo! Cigna
• Electronic Arts Cigna
• Noble Americas Corp Cigna
• International Medical Corp Cigna
• NBA Cigna
• Activision Blizzard Cigna
• NFL Cigna
• Cornerstone On-Demand Cigna
• Hearst Corporation Cigna
• FRHI Fairmont Hotels $ Resorts International Cigna
• United Embassy or Kuwait Cigna
• AFTRA Cigna
UnitedHealthcare
• The Turner Corporation UnitedHealthCare
• Solar City United Health Care
• Viacom United Health Care
• NW Entertainment United Health Care
• Proctor and Gamble United Health Care
• Oxford Health United Health Care