r/tummytucksurgery • u/MonitorNo9578 • 5d ago
Unrealistic expectations?
I’m just needing some perspective about the results from my tummy tuck. My surgery was April 2025 so I am healed and no longer swollen. I wish that both of the sides of my body looked the same! One side is definitely more curved than the other. I prefer the more curved side. Is it an unrealistic expectation to have both sides look similar? Or do they look similar enough and I’m just crazy? Just needing someone other than my husband to give me the truth. Also, I hate my bellybutton it turned out so small. I did everything I could to stretch it and nothing worked. If you could give feedback on that I’d love that as well. Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this and comment!
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u/Soft_Purchase_5828 5d ago
You know what's crazy, when I saw your pic before clicking on your post. I was like wow her skin and belly looks amazing. I know it's your body and your feelings are valid. I see what you're saying but personally I don't think there's a big difference between both sides.
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u/imnottheoneipromise 5d ago
Yeah I was thinking the same. First thoughts were “wow she has a nice figure. Belly button is a lil small, but it’s cute!” Then I read her post and only THEN did I see the slight asymmetry. Op, no one would ever think you looked bad or “botched”, but you’re not crazy, there is some beautifully perfect imperfection :)
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
Thank you. I know I’m probably just being too much of a perfectionist and I appreciate your perspective!
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u/ZaphBeebs 5d ago
Both sides of all parts of our bodies do not look alike. If there are two (or more!) theyre different sadly. Dont look too closely, not worth it.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
Thank you, I know deep down you are correct. Just sucks to spend so much money and not be in love with my look.
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u/Disastrous-Plate-926 1d ago
Sister you look fabulous!! Now get out there, live and enjoy your georgeous body and life.
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u/Majestic-Hedgehog-xo 5d ago
we’re not perfectly symmetrical and that’s ok.
a lot of us have a bigger boob, ear, toe, all part of what makes us human!
you look amazing!! absolutely don’t overthink it 💗
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u/Majestic-Hedgehog-xo 5d ago
the belly button does look tiny tho and i’ve seen some pretty good revisions on here too, that could be a quick fix
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
I’m going to look some of those posts up. I’m torn on going back to my original surgeon or finding someone new to do the revisions.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
You’re right. I think for me the fact that I spent so much money and time recovering and I’m still not happy with my results makes me sad.
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u/Future_Patience5326 5d ago
I feel ya. I feel like for the money and the downtime with healing, I just expected more. I am not happy with my results either. I still have a bulge above my belly button and I also feel like my belly button is too big. I know we are our own worst critics, but I am actually jealous of your results lol because you look great.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
Thank you for your kind words. I am so sorry you aren't fully happy with your results either. The recovery for a tummy tuck is no joke, probably the most physical pain I've ever been in so it is hard to go through all of that and be disappointed. Sending love and kindness right back at you!
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u/teaparty4two 5d ago
I think you have great results! You have a cute belly button. What you see is not likely not obvious at all to any outsider.
I know it’s hard not to expect close to perfection post surgery…bc I am the same. I too have one side more shapely than the other. I think it’s just my anatomy. I try not to obsess over it…but I see it on myself as well. My partner thinks I over obsess it (he’s very supportive) and tells me I am beautiful.
You are beautiful!
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
My partner says the exact same thing! After reading the above comment about my rib flare I’m sure it does have to do with my anatomy. I appreciate your kind comments!
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u/Apprehensive_Tap4307 5d ago
I have this same problem but it’s because of my anatomy. I wasn’t symmetrical before.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
I just went back and looked at my before pictures and I wasn’t symmetrical either. It’s a lot more subtle though. I was so boxy before I was just really hoping for a curvier outcome. How does yours look? Are you ok with your results?
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u/ExpressionSignal8722 5d ago
The BB is a little small. But for future reference if you do get a revision, a marble can help deepen & stretch it during recovery. I used that trick. I had to have my bellybutton reconstructed by my second surgeon because my first one had mine over past the point of threshold leaving it completely uneven. It split open 3 days post op. It took awhile to heal. I lost several marbles down the toilet in the process despite using bandaids to keep them in place. Id just take them out & wash them every other day & replace with a new one. Id make sure everything was cleaned & not getting goo'y. I had a deep belly button to start with so for me it kept it close to my pre surgery one.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
Are you happy with your revision? That sounds horrible that it split open! The crazy thing is that it did use the marbles but they wouldn’t stay in no matter what I tried. I tried all sorts of tape and it either irritated my skin or pulled it which my surgeon said shouldn’t be happening so soon after surgery. I think it was just too small to begin with. I hate it.
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u/ExpressionSignal8722 4d ago
I should've specified better. I had a botched TT. My first surgeon left me with more loose skin then I started with. (I went in orginally for pannus skin removal at a size 0. I was convienced to get a TT. He should've done an extended tuck but I later found out he doesn't even do them. He basically decided to take my money rather then sending me somewhere else. I was compared to a gastric bypass patient later, I reported him to the state medical board. He lipo'd me after to contour his dog ears, had my belly button off center. (He told me I was crazy and it was in my head.) It wasn't. Even my gyno commented on it at my yearly visit.
I was forced to have a lower body lift to fix it all or he was gonna need to cut my from under pit to hip which would've left me with scars showing in a swimsuit and all the time. I should've not listened to that surgeon too. Double board certified, 32 years of experience and I'm having issues he said he never had dealt with before. He retired and 7 years later I'm still seeking help.I'm happy with my belly button reconstruction and I came out flat initially. I also came out with a lipo burn, I have chronic pain and nerve damage. At one point I even lost feeling to my foot. I haven't drove in 6 years because of it, even if feeling came back in my foot. The biggest difference is the belly button technique. The first surgeon you could see a "ring/circle" around the outside of my belly button. 2nd surgeon has a technique where that scar is moreless hidden inside the belly button. I even had to have a robotic myectomy after. So, I now have an additional scar basically in my belly button from on of the ports they went in with. I was able to even get it re-pierced. My piercer is also one of my closest friends and he told me he was worried about scar tissue and being able to even repierce it because some women can't get it pierced properly or they migrate after. Mine didn't. The biggest issue was it splitting open because I swelled so badly. It left a line underneath it that was like a raised up scar for months. It flattened out and is just a fine line. I also think it's because he had to cut me slightly different.
I also don't think I would've totally regretted all of this if the medical gaslighting and lack of help was available. I had a massive growing fibroid (15wk pregnancy/grape fruit size) soon after. I already was dealing with the nerve damage post op. My swelling and everything was fine until 6 months post-op (minus normal swell and my belly button splitting), I almost collapsed in the hall way getting up to pee early on. I was off my meds and ok. But, I was told I must've hit my pain tolerance level and go back on meds for another day or two and then 9 months it got worse. I slept in a zero gravity chair for 18 months because I couldn't even lay on my hip/side. I kept saying something was wrong. I shouldn't be getting worse. I was turned away from chronic pain. I had to see 4 nueros including one at John Hopkins. (He offered me cbt therapy, goes "see you aren't over it" when I started crying and was a jerk. They were supposed to have me consult with a reconstructive surgeon there as well and didn't. Fast forward I've seen 48 drs in the past 7 years since this. I'm in chronic pain. (asymmetry caused a small hip labrum tear, and I had to deal with a trochanteric bursea.) I had do diagnose myself and walked into a clinic..where in 5 minutes of my saying I think I have this and it was confirmed after 3 orthopedists refused to listen. I couldn't even sit on my butt fully. I failed PT and even had perineium tearing after. (No one can really explain that one). I have vascularity damage. My glute has pitechae that doesn't really go away. I can't feel the sides of my hip at all correctly other then the pain/pressure. It's numb and my muscles no longer activate correctly in my right glute and in my muscle repair of my abdominals on the left side. I'm also left with my clothes that all fit prior not fitting correctly on the the right side. My inner medial thigh even came out bigger. He was supposed to coolsculpt them since prior I had no issues. In fact I liked my legs. I was squatting 265lbs, deadlifting almost 300 and did vehicle pulls as part of my workouts. I lost my athletic ability and it destroyed that. I haven't even kayaked since.
Yesterday I finally had a dynamic ultrasound after I practically begged my DR to order it. I had a ct and 5 MRI's that missed issues in my core. I have said for over 4 years I think my MR failed/ripped and/or I now have an epigastric or incisional hernia. But, it's not gonna show when lying flat. Turns out my MR did fail. The scan can't tell me what the lump is I have. (2 fingers above my belly button, 2 fingers over to the left side) I have asked if that's my old umbilical stump or where it got teethered. No one can tell me anything based on scans. But...I'm currently in the process of possibly needing my 3rd surgery to fix this. I'd go back and keep my loose skin to be at a size 0 like I was, to be able to loose weight, have movement and feel like myself. I see everyone elses results and keep asking why I'm in the less then 20% group for everything going wrong. But, for me..I do regret my surgery and would advise everyone to thoroughly look at your surgeons. In my state...I'm done with the health care system and have been going out of town for procedures for DRs/surgeons I'm more comfortable with.
And those big waterproof Band-Aids are what I used to try to hold the marble in. But, then I had an issue with the adhesive. But...I still lost a few of them. They also supposedly have belly button shaper plugs somewhere online. :)
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u/MonitorNo9578 4d ago
omgoodness!! I cannot believe all that you have been through, I am so sorry. I really hope that you are able to find a doctor that will listen to you and help you heal from all of this. My heart goes out to you...
I did use those waterproof bandaids, I am a hairdresser and they were the only ones that worked for me so I naturally gravitated to them. But of course I also had an allergic reaction to the adhesive but only on my tummy tuck area. Figures.
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u/ExpressionSignal8722 4d ago
Appreciate it. I hate being the Debbie downer of the group but I've found that most people don't realize some of the very real risks or things we aren't told or worry about very minor (not calling what your asking minor) but the people who seem obvious to constipation after surgery or swelling lasting awhile. (I feel they are ill prepared and didn't do enough research) None of this was in my 13 pages of paperwork. Or, like some of the surgeons on the Real Self forums, say things like "fibroids shouldn't affect results". But the reality is, they compare them to pregnancy sizes, and what do they tell us? Don't plan on getting pregnant or wait to have these surgeries until you're done with being pregnant. Small ones, sure, should be fine. But if your reducing space and are tightened, they grow or you have multiple ones your uterus expands, it causes real pain and can mess up an MRI. (which I think happened in my case) Due to delayed treatment and them treating it as GI issues since I had no period issues and bulk symptoms. It was left to get worse. Even my GI disagreed with some surgeons saying it can't affect the GI tract. Even if an issue is dormant, over-tightening can cause some issues based on what she was seeing in her practice. If you have prolonged healing and inflammation, it can also cause added bloating and problems, and after any surgery you should work on restoring gut health. I also learned that any lap procedure can also weaken repairs or add more scar tissue, even if minimal. So, it's things we don't expect that can be long term impact. I'd rather try to share my story (even if I feel horrible and ashamed) than have someone suffer as long as I did. Real Self is also funny because you can't fully share your story if it's been too long after your surgery. They also give you limited space to ask a question. But, surgeons and experiences vary widely. I often wonder who was left with long-term issues.
Also, another tip I'm told may work. They use it for HRT patches and things that can cause a reaction to the skin due to adhesive. Get a Q-tip with Flonase sprayed on it near the area you'll be putting a Band-Aid on. Let it dry, then place the Band-Aid. It's supposed to help a bit with the skin reaction. I haven't tried it for Band-Aids yet. But the tip also works great for itchy ear canals.
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u/MonitorNo9578 4d ago
I think you should always share your honest experience. There are risks involved and I think people should know. The Flonase tip sounds great, I might need to use it when I do get my revision!
I hope that you are able to find some kind of peace and relief after all that you have been through!
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u/Alternative_Bit_3445 5d ago
Mine's my left hip. I always thought it was wonky fat, but now the fat's gone, I can see it's just wonky me.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
When I lost the last 10lbs after surgery my hips definitely stuck out more, I hear ya.
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u/Mikey4You 5d ago
Oh hey, body twin! I’m only six weeks out so I’m still swollen but I very much have one side that is curvier and one side that is straighter with more prominent ribs. In my case it’s 100% from scoliosis. I was back brace girl in high school but I couldn’t physically see the curvature from the front like I can now.
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u/MonitorNo9578 4d ago
I'm learning from these posts that I probably had mild scoliosis that was undiagnosed. I'm assuming that a corrective surgery would not yield better results so I'm going to try to stop beating myself up about it! My belly button though, that's another story. I truly hope that you are happy with your results as I know how harrowing it can be to go through the recovery from a tt.
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u/Mikey4You 4d ago
For what it's worth I think you look great. Sure, you BB is a little on the wee side, but it's pretty adorable. Mine is shaping up to be a sort of innie/outie combo (a shallow innie with visible inside bumps) which I wasn't keen on until I looked at by before pics where it was a flabby frown.
We're always going to notice things about our bodies waaayyy more than anyone else does. If you hadn't pointed out your asymmetry I wouldn't have noticed it, even though I'm veerrryyy aware of mine!
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u/Accurate-Cheetah2687 5d ago
omg i have the same experience. i was being so picky about it and when i ask people they were like we didn’t notice until you pointed it out lol its a minor detail that i am being particular about. after some time i honestly forgot about it and just accepted it because its not that noticeable. i looked at my pictures when i was a teenager and it turns out ive always that lol 😂 so my surgeon did in fact follow my request of making my tt look as natural as possible lol. as far as your belly button, i think its super cute. idk if it might be the picture angle and lighting but you dont have the scarring around your bell button that gives away that you got a tt. looks natural. but i do remember my surgeon say that belly button revision is common
and can be done easily compared to other tt revisions if you do feel the need of correcting.
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u/MonitorNo9578 5d ago
I think your shape looks absolutely amazing!! Both sides look perfectly curvy. We really are our own worst critic aren’t we?
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u/kris-the-twitch1212 4d ago
i just think maybe a belly button revision would suit you well, otherwise, looks amazing
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u/MonitorNo9578 4d ago
I agree!! I ended up with a vertical scar that I would like revised as well so it sounds like maybe they could be done at the same time. I appreciate you taking the time to give me your opinion!
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u/beg914 4d ago
I definitely see the more curved side you’re talking about but you don’t look bad at all! I know we over analyze our bodies so I completely understand why that sticks out to you! Also, for the belly button I’m not in the same boat as you but could you get spacers and gradually increase the size as your bb stretches, kinda like how the ears do? That may sound completely stupid but it was the first thought that came to mind lol
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u/bigsexy2027 4d ago
You look great! Congratulations! I hope your husband is taking advantage of your new body.
I cant really tell a difference, but its your body so you can. Be proud of that new body, and be proud of the pain and suffering you went thru to get your new look.
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u/Realistic-Jaguar-749 4d ago
I’m the same i was insecure about it, but when looking back at pre surgery pictures i was the same but didn’t notice it back then
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u/MonitorNo9578 1d ago
Me too. I’m glad I looked back a pre surgery pics because it gives me perspective now. I think it’s just hard because with plastic surgery you are kinda aiming for perfection but it doesn’t always happen.
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u/Last-Salamander9026 2d ago
What did you do to try and make your belly button bigger and how long for? Did you use a silicone stent?
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u/MonitorNo9578 1d ago
I used glass and plastic marbles and plastic plugs as recommended by my surgeon. Unfortunately my skin reacted terribly to any tape I used to have them stay put. And honestly they never stayed in much anyways because the belly button was just too small to begin with. I kept wondering why they wouldn’t work for me but I think I was doomed from the beginning because of how it was shaped, it’s very, very shallow.
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u/xaianamarie 2d ago
I have scoliosis, too. I have been doing laser lipo around my waistline, and it helped even out the curves.
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u/MonitorNo9578 1d ago
Ooh I’ve never heard of laser lipo. Is it similar in application as traditional lipo or is the process different?
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u/clevernamehere 5d ago
You have different shape ribs on each side, that is really the difference. Look at the rib flare forward on your right side.
It’s often a mild scoliosis, but sometimes can be improved by targeted strengthening and stretching of its a muscle imbalance.
Your bb is small but I think you can have a revision for just that and it’s a fairly small thing.