Umbilical Reconstruction Techniques: A Literature Review

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Umbilical reconstruction (umbiliconeoplasty) is crucial for completing abdominal reconstruction when the umbilicus is lost.
• It restores a natural cosmetic appearance to the abdomen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review all described surgical techniques for umbiliconeoplasty in the medical literature.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed.
• Keywords included various terms for umbilical reconstruction and specific procedure names.

Main Results:

• Seventy-seven papers detailed sixty distinct techniques for umbilical reconstruction.
• Local skin flaps and purse-string sutures were the most frequently cited methods.
• Specific flap techniques like the Three flaps, Four flaps, and 2 Lateral rectangular pedicle lateral flaps were popular.

Conclusions:

• Numerous surgical techniques exist for umbilicus reconstruction.
• No single universal algorithm guides technique selection; surgeon experience and reported outcomes inform the decision.