Belly button reshaping, also called umbilicoplasty, is a short surgical procedure that changes the shape, size or position of your belly button to give it a more natural appearance.Belly button reshaping, also called umbilicoplasty, is a short surgical procedure that changes the shape, size or position of your belly button to give it a more natural appearance.
2-3 HRS
FULL
7 to 10 days
After 6–8 weeks
Belly button reshaping changes the appearance of a navel that has become stretched, flattened, distorted or otherwise different from how it used to look. The procedure can tighten loose skin around the navel, reduce its size, change its orientation from horizontal to vertical, or restore the appearance after a hernia repair, an old piercing, or pregnancy.
Most patients arriving for this surgery fall into two groups. Some have noticed their belly button changed shape after pregnancy or significant weight loss, and want it to look like it used to. Others have simply never liked the way their navel looks in clothes that show it, and want a cosmetic refinement. Both are common, both are valid, and both are addressed in the same way surgically.
Small incisions are made around the natural curve of the navel itself. The skin is gently lifted, shaped, and resutured to create a more vertical, refined, natural looking belly button. Because all the work happens at the edge of the navel and inside it, any incision lines are hidden in the folds of the navel itself.
When belly button reshaping is done alongside abdominoplasty, the navel is repositioned to suit the new, tighter abdominal contour. This is a very common combination because tightening the abdomen without reshaping the belly button often leaves the navel looking off-centre or distorted, which defeats the point of the surgery.
If you’ve had an umbilical hernia, the repair sometimes leaves the navel with a flattened, scarred or asymmetric appearance. Reshaping is done as a follow up procedure to restore a natural look. At consultation, depending on your concern and how your abdomen has healed, we’ll recommend the approach that fits you.
The reasons people come in are usually one of these:
If any of this sounds familiar, a consultation will give you a clear answer on what’s achievable in your case and what isn’t.
Most patients are healthy adults who are unhappy with the current appearance of their belly button and want it corrected. You’re typically a good candidate if:
A consultation runs about 30 to 45 minutes, in person or virtual if you're travelling from another city or country. We'll talk through what you'd like to change, what's realistic for you, whether your concern is best addressed as a standalone procedure or alongside a tummy tuck or mommy makeover, and what recovery actually looks like. You'll leave knowing what the procedure would involve and what it would cost, in writing. There's no pressure to book on the day. Most people take the conversation home, sit with it for a few weeks, and come back when they're ready.
Once you've decided to go ahead, we spend time preparing you properly. Photographs are taken from standardised angles so we can plan the procedure precisely. Basic blood work and a fitness clearance are organised. If your reshaping is being done alongside a tummy tuck or mommy makeover, that planning is more detailed and we'll walk you through it stage by stage. We also talk you through what to expect on the day of surgery, what to bring with you, who should come along, and how to prepare your home for the first few days of recovery. Small things matter, like loose comfortable clothing that doesn't press on the abdomen, how to sleep comfortably, what to keep in the fridge. By the time surgery day arrives, you should feel ready, not anxious. Surgery is scheduled when you're ready, not before.
Performed in the hospital operating theatre under local anaesthesia with sedation. The procedure itself usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes when done as a standalone surgery. When combined with a tummy tuck or mommy makeover, the timing is longer and the anaesthesia approach is different. Most standalone patients are discharged the same day.
You wake up with a small dressing covering the navel area. There's usually mild soreness, easily managed with simple painkillers. Most patients walk out of the hospital on their own and go home the same day. The sutures used inside the belly button are absorbable, so there's nothing to remove at a follow up visit.
Mild soreness and a feeling of tightness around the navel. Easily managed with simple painkillers. Most patients are comfortable resting at home, keeping the dressing clean and dry.
You're back to most normal daily activities. Sedentary desk work is usually comfortable from day 2 or 3. Loose clothing around the abdomen is more comfortable than fitted waistbands during this phase.
The initial swelling settles. The dressing is reviewed, the area is checked, and any guidance for the next phase is given. Light exercise can usually be resumed, with heavier workouts paused for a little longer.
Full return to gym, swimming and core exercises, once cleared. The belly button is now visibly settling into its new shape.
By around 6 to 8 weeks the final shape is showing through. The sutures inside the navel dissolve and the scar lines, which were already hidden in the natural folds, are barely noticeable. Most patients feel the result is fully theirs by the 2 month mark.
Belly button reshaping looks simple, but the result depends entirely on the surgeon’s eye for proportion and how delicately the navel is handled. A few millimetres of difference in suture placement changes whether the result looks natural or operated on. So it’s worth knowing who you’re trusting with the decision.
MS in General Surgery from AIIMS New Delhi. MCh in Plastic Surgery from NIMS Hyderabad. Fellowship in Aesthetic Surgery at the Dr. Javier de Benito Institute, Barcelona. Fellowship in Hair Transplantation at Knudsen Clinic, Sydney. Specialist training in face and body aesthetic surgery across two continents.
Over 30 years in plastic and aesthetic surgery. Thousands of procedures performed personally across face, body, breast and reconstructive work. Belly button reshaping is regularly part of mommy makeover and tummy tuck cases, and also done as a standalone cosmetic procedure for patients who simply want a more refined navel.
Dr. Vasu also sees patients who’ve had unsatisfactory umbilical surgery or hernia repair elsewhere and want a corrective procedure. These cases are technically more involved than primary surgery and require careful planning.
A consultation here unfolds in its own time. We listen to what’s brought you in. We understand the change you’re hoping for. We examine, explain what’s possible, and walk you through how the procedure would actually work for you. If you decide to go ahead, our team prepares you properly, including financial counselling so there are no surprises, and gets you ready for the day of surgery.
This is the approach because the aim has always been the same: results that look like the patient, just on their best day.
Across every procedure he performs, Dr. Vasu is particularly known for how he handles scars. Incisions are placed where they’re least visible. Fine sutures close the skin cleanly. Months are spent paying attention to how the scar settles, long after the surgery is done.
For belly button reshaping, this means incisions placed entirely inside the natural folds of the navel, where they disappear into the skin’s own anatomy. With careful suturing and absorbable threads, the result is a refined belly button with no visible scarring at all, even in close inspection.
Patient 1 · Female, 34 3 months post
Patient 2 · Female, 34 3 months post
Patient 3 · Female, 34 3 months post
Individual results vary. Photographs are representative, not guaranteed outcomes. Consultation required to assess suitability.
No. The incisions are made entirely inside the natural folds of the navel itself, so the scar lines are hidden inside the belly button. Once healed, there’s no visible scar on the skin around the navel. This is one of the reasons belly button reshaping appeals to patients who don’t want any external signs of surgery.
No. The procedure is done under local anaesthesia with sedation, which numbs the area completely. You’ll feel pressure or movement during the surgery but not pain. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterwards is easily managed with simple painkillers.
Most patients are back to normal daily activities in 2 to 3 days. Sedentary desk work is comfortable from day 2 or 3. Light exercise can usually resume within a week or two, with full gym and core workouts paused for about 3 to 4 weeks. Full recovery and final shape is typically visible at 6 to 8 weeks.
Most healthy adults who are unhappy with the appearance of their belly button are candidates. The procedure is particularly common after pregnancy, after weight loss, or when a horizontal belly button could be refined into a more vertical, youthful shape. A consultation will give you a clear answer on what’s achievable specifically for you.
Yes, very commonly. In fact, when a tummy tuck is performed, repositioning and reshaping the belly button is usually a necessary part of the procedure rather than a separate decision. If you’re considering both, the consultation will walk you through whether they should be done together, what that combined procedure looks like, and what the recovery involves.
This is a common reason patients come in. After hernia repair, the navel can sometimes look flattened, scarred or asymmetric. A reshaping procedure can restore a natural appearance. Your previous surgical records are reviewed at consultation and an honest assessment is given on what can realistically be achieved.
Like any surgery, there are some risks to be aware of: minor bleeding, infection, temporary swelling, and rare healing issues such as small suture granulomas. The likelihood of these is significantly reduced when the procedure is done by a plastic surgeon in a hospital setting with full sterile protocols. Your specific risk profile is discussed honestly at consultation, including any factors specific to your health history.
Cost varies based on whether the procedure is done as a standalone surgery or alongside a tummy tuck or mommy makeover. A transparent written treatment plan with full cost breakdown is provided after consultation. No pricing is committed before you’ve been examined in person or virtually, and there are no hidden charges.
Possibly. Pregnancy stretches the abdomen and can change the shape of the belly button again. For this reason, if you’re planning more children, it’s often best to wait until your family is complete before doing a reshaping procedure, particularly if it’s part of a larger mommy makeover. We’ll discuss the right timing at consultation.
Yes, regularly. Many patients travel from Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and internationally. Virtual consultations are available before you book travel. Coordination on scheduling, accommodation guidance, and follow up after surgery means most patients can complete the procedure and recovery in a single trip.
A change in your belly button can feel like a small thing to bring up, but for many patients it’s something they’ve quietly thought about for years. Whatever brought you here, post pregnancy, after weight loss, an old piercing, or simply a shape you’ve never liked, we’ll help you understand what’s achievable for you, what the procedure would actually involve, and what the result is likely to look like.
If you decide to go ahead, our team walks alongside you. That includes financial counselling so the cost side is clear from the start, and emotional preparation in the days before surgery. You leave the consultation with everything you need to decide in your own time.