Umbilicoplasty is minor surgery that reshapes the navel. It is used to correct an "outie", to repair a stretched or torn piercing site, to restore shape lost after pregnancy or weight change, and to correct asymmetry. Most cases take thirty to sixty minutes under local anaesthetic in the office.
Because the incision is placed inside the rim of the navel, the scar is usually well hidden once it has matured over several months. Recovery is quick - many people are back at desk work within a few days - though strenuous core work is avoided for two to four weeks. It is frequently done alongside a tummy tuck, which reshapes the navel as part of the larger operation.
After numbing, the surgeon trims/rearranges small amounts of skin to refine the navel’s shape, size, or hood, then closes with fine/dissolvable sutures hidden within the umbilical depression. Most isolated cases take ~1 hour.
Adults bothered by protrusion (“outie”), stretching after pregnancy/weight change, or piercing scars who want a more proportional, vertical “innie.” Your consult confirms anatomy and whether any hernia requires separate repair.
Incisions are typically hidden inside the navel, so scarring is discreet when healed. Good after-care and sun protection help scars fade.
Yes. Piercing-related scars or elongation can be revised during umbilicoplasty. Ask your surgeon about when/if to re-pierce based on healing and technique.
Generally low but include bleeding, infection, asymmetry/under- or over-correction, contour irregularity, delayed healing, and unfavourable scarring. Risks may increase when combining procedures.
A reasonable Canada-wide guide: ~C$2,000–$5,000+ depending on surgeon, facility, and whether it’s paired with other breast surgery. Your consultation provides an exact quote.
Common pairings include mini-tummy tuck or full abdominoplasty (where umbilicoplasty is built into the technique) and liposuction for contouring—done when appropriate for your goals.
Where the looseness extends below the navel but a full tummy tuck is more than you need, a mini tummy tuck is the middle option and is commonly combined with navel reshaping.
For the right patient, it offers a precise, permanent refinement of the navel with a short visit and minimal downtime—especially helpful after pregnancy, weight change, or piercing issues.
Not when it is done for appearance - reshaping an "outie", a stretched piercing site or post-pregnancy asymmetry is cosmetic and paid privately. The exception is where there is an umbilical hernia, which is a medical condition and is generally covered. If you have both, the hernia repair may be insured while the cosmetic reshaping done at the same time is billed separately. Ask your surgeon to split the quote so you can see which part is which.
Tell your surgeon before anything is booked. Umbilical hernias are common after pregnancy and weight change - the same events that change the shape of the navel - and they are repaired through the same incision. Combining the two is normal practice and usually the better option than treating them separately, because you recover once rather than twice. It also changes the anaesthetic: a hernia repair is more likely to need a general.
