Does Size Really Matter? A Review on How to Determine the Optimal Umbilical Size During an Abdominoplasty.

Background: The umbilicus has historical significance regarding health and beauty principles. The visually pleasing aesthetic of the umbilicus has become a vital standard for the perceived success of an abdominoplasty procedure. While the ideal position and shape of the umbilicus have been studied extensively in literature, less is known about the optimal size. Herein, the authors provide a comprehensive literature review to help determine the ideal umbilical size.

Methods: A computerized search in the PubMed database was performed to identify articles that discussed ideal umbilical size.

Results: The review was performed in July 2022. A total of 21 articles were initially identified, only 6 of which discussed umbilical size. References from the included articles were also evaluated for relevance and resulted in 10 additional articles in the final review. Most of the articles indicated that a smaller umbilicus was found to be aesthetically pleasing, but a numerical range of values were not specified.

Conclusions: Although the literature on the ideal umbilical size is sparse, the consensus is toward a smaller, vertically oriented umbilicus.