title: Aesthetically pleasant umbilicoplasty.
abstract: The umbilicus is an important aesthetic feature of the abdomen and thus calls for an optimized reinsertation technique. Localization and characteristics of the umbilicus were assessed in 137 adults. In addition, age, height, weight, pregnancy, and gender were recorded. Each participant reviewed his own photographs while the authors reviewed all of them. The categorization included a rating and an evaluation of the silhouette. A vertical-configured umbilicus was the most frequently observed. Nevertheless, the score for oval shape was superior. Following a pregnancy, the navel became shorter and wider. Furthermore, the distances measured between the fixed bony points were larger in males and as BMI increased. The height of a person had no impact on the position or height of the umbilicus. An oval-shaped umbilicus that is positioned at 2/3 of the distance from the pubis to the xiphisternum may lead to the most aesthetic results. Thus, the goal in umbilicoplasty is to obtain this configuration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery-Burn Unit, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. npallua@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pallua
authors.forename: Marta P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Markowicz
authors.forename: Frederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grosse
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walter
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014472:Umbilicus / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult