Numbness after tummy tuck

Numbness after a tummy tuck is expected in all patients. Small sensory nerves get divided during the procedure. The time frame for the return of sensation is quite variable. Some patients get most or all of the feeling back in a few months.

Other patients can take as long as 18 months. There are still some patients where normal sensation never returns. (Kelly Gallego, MD, FACS, Yuba City Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness after a tummy tuck is typically located below the belly button and above the tummy tuck incision. The numbness can be from either stretching or cutting of the nerves when the skin is lifted up and moved downwards.

It can take up to 18 months for sensation to return. However, it is often not entirely 100%.

Numbness after tummy tuck operation

There is some data to suggest that a liposuction abdominoplasty (where the abdominal skin is freed up with liposuction rather than simply cutting it free) spares more of the nerves and leads to less numbness. (David Bogue, MD, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)

It will take 1-2 years for the sensation to return to your abdomden. Nerves grow at a rate of 1mm/day or about 1inch per month. They grow from the outer abdomen near the hips/waist and move toward the center. There can be some areas that are permanently numb along the incision line and near the center between the belly button and the scar below. (Matthew H. Steele, MD, Fort Worth Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness Following Abdominoplasty is Temporary & May Last Up to 1 Year

Numbness after tummy tuck image

Numbness of the abdomen commonly occurs following abdominoplasty. In the vast majority of patients, this numbness is temporary and resolves in about a year. Sensation tends to first return laterally and superiorly and move downward and inward. The last place to have a return of sensation is the area near the transverse incision below the umbilicus. In some cases, loss of sensation may be permanent. (Richard J. Bruneteau, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

How Long Does Numbness Typically Last After Tummy Tuck?

Sensation takes a while to return but feels normal at about 1 year. Sensory recovery can sometimes take 2 years. There may be areas of permanent numbness. (Thomas Guillot, MD, Baton Rouge Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness after tummy tuck images

Numbness after a tummy tuck

Many patients experience numbness after a tummy tuck. It is usually located below the belly button. It is very important to NOT use a heating pad after a tummy tuck, especially if you have numbness . I’ve seen patients give themselves significant burns because they couldn’t feel the heat in these numb areas. So NO heating pads. If you have numbness in this area, it will probably last at least 6 months and then start to slowly improve with time. Full recovery usually takes about a year, and some numbness may be permanent. Massaging the area can be helpful. (James Knoetgen, III, MD, Fresno Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness after tummy tuck photo

Numbness After Abdominoplasty

Just as with a C-Section, numbness from a tummy tuck can last foreverr in some cases. Right after the tummy tuck surgery most of the skin below the belly button is numb but with time most of the feeling returns except a small area just above the center of the scar. There is no numbness below the scar. (Ronald V. DeMars, MD, Portland Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness and phantom itching/pain after tummy tuck

Numbness after tummy tuck surgery

To some degree, it is quite likely that you will experience permanent numbness following a full tummy tuck in the area immediately below the umbilicus and above the mons pubis. This is normal and rarely problematic for patients. IT is also normal to have the sensation that someone is itching you at a higher level on your abdomen that can be relieved by itching lower on the abdomen where the skin was moved. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

How long does numbness last post tummy tuck?

Numbness after tummy tuck patient photo

Numbness post tummy tuck occurs because skin elevation divides the sensory nerves. Skin undermining is greatest below the umbilicus and consequently has greatest decrease in sensation. Sensation gradually improves towards the centre over 1-2 years, albeit not completely. (Robert Sleightholm, MD, Brampton Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness after a tummy tuck

It is normal to have numbness throughout the abdomen after a tummy tuck. You can expect to have a steady return to normal over 2-3 months. Some stubborn areas may take up to a year to become normal again. If you would like more information about abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) I recommend that you check out the attached link. You can find a lot of good information there. (Adam Rubinstein, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

Numbness after a tummy tuck

The numbness after tummy tuck

Numbness after tummy tuck abdominoplasty surgery photo

Numbness after a tummy tuck can vary in resolution time, but it will usually resolve within the first 18 months. Most patients experience permanent numbness in the area between the belly button and the incision. (Richard H. Fryer, MD, Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon)

Skin numbness after a tummy tuck

Since the nerves to the skin are cut during a tummy tuck, the skin across the abdomen will be numb to varying degrees after surgery. Usually there is a gradual return of sensation over the course of 6-12 months. Sometimes the sensation does not completely return. (Christa Clark, MD, FACS, Sacramento Plastic Surgeon)