Have you ever misplaced your navel? Apparently it is not unknown for plastic surgeons performing tummy tucks to “move” the belly button. It seems that the surgery involves moving around or removing the skin, fat tissues and abdominal muscle, and totally removing the original belly button. When the surgeon is finished, he creates a new one. But doctors lose track of where the original belly button once sat. Some plastic surgeons say replacing the navel is one of the most difficult and aesthetically important parts of the surgery.

To help doctors keep track of where the original was, Dr. Fardad Forouzanpour invented the Umbilical Locator. The cone shaped device is sewn in place (base side down) to underlying tissue that will not be disturbed by the tummy tuck. When the procedure is nearly finished and the patient's skin is back in place, the doctor feels for the point of the locator and uses it as a guide in creating the new belly button. The one-time-use plastic device is packaged unsterilized but it does withstand autoclaving.