# My innards are spilling out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180 "2001-09-27T20:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/1 "2001-09-27T20:26:54Z")
I’ve been spending my time at work today looking this up on google and can’t really find anything… (found some good fetish sights though… hehehe) What would happen if you were to somehow undo the knot/scar of your belly button anyway? What are the odds it would happen? Has it ever happened to anybody before? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/2 "2001-09-27T20:29:05Z")
Maybe Pol Pot can help us on this one… D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Firx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Firx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firx)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/3 "2001-09-27T21:41:26Z")
Oddly enough **Chas E.** mentioned something in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=89553). No detail, though. Short of surgery, there is no way to ‘undo’ your navel. Even if there were, nothing would happen (save infection). It’s not as though the muscles in your abdominal wall would just flop open if your belly button were gone, so your viscera would remain inside. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/4 "2001-09-27T22:15:20Z")
You gotta admit, this thread has a catchy title, in a [rotten.com](http://rotten.com) sort of way. I could just imagine, some Doper at his computer, pecking out a post with one had while the other kept his entrails inside his abdominal cavity. And … ah, I should stop, especially if any of you are going to eat, or have just eaten, Italian pasta in a red sauce. 😃 But, my ghoulish imaginings aside, I’m sure nothing would happen if you cut your belly button, aside from the expected bleeding and, possibly, infection. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/5 "2001-09-27T22:43:18Z")
Awww, and I thought that this was going to be a thread about rectal prolapse. :eek: [link removed] [Edited by bibliophage on 09-27-2001 at 09:20 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/6 "2001-09-27T23:22:11Z")
\*: Cervaise gives Larry a virtual beating : : then clicks “add bookmark” :\* ---
**Author:** ![Beardedcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@Beardedcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beardedcrow)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/7 "2001-09-27T23:55:41Z")
My mother always told me that, if I was bad, she would unscrew my belly-button and my legs would fall off. Hmmm… maybe that was an empty threat? ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/8 "2001-09-27T23:58:25Z")
Yumpin’ Yayzus, **Larry**! What. Was. That?! :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MIKE\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MIKE\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MIKE_P)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/9 "2001-09-28T00:02:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Awww, and I thought that this was going to be a thread about rectal prolapse. :eek: \*\* :eek: ::Joins Cervaise in giving Larry a virtual beating:: [link removed] [Edited by bibliophage on 09-27-2001 at 09:21 PM] ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/10 "2001-09-28T00:58:58Z")
After I ruptured my liver, I had a drainage tube for a few weeks. That was basically an open hole in my abdominal wall, about twice the size of my belly button, that lead right to my guts. They didn’t fall out. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/11 "2001-09-28T02:25:36Z")
**Larry Mudd** , that link was uncalled for. It doesn’t serve to answer the OP, it serves only to shock. Don’t do that again. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![OliverTwistofLime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b487fb/32.png) [@OliverTwistofLime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverTwistofLime)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/12 "2001-09-28T02:47:51Z")
Umbilical hernias are not uncommon whereby fat from the apron (omentum) covering the bowel and possibly even bowell itself can protrude through weakness of the supporting tissues of the bellybutton. If the navel scar was removed completely and a hole in the abdominal wall was present, the above could also occur as well as allowing infection from the outside world to enter the sterile abdominal cavity. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/13 "2001-09-28T04:39:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Firx \* > **Oddly enough Chas E. mentioned something in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=89553). No detail, though.** After seeing the results of his surgery, I was horrified enough to never EVER want to know the details. Sorry but that is all I know, I never asked him about the details, in fact, I think I recall stopping him several times as he started to tell me the full story. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/14 "2001-09-28T04:44:41Z")
Oh, I suppose I could add one more detail. He had a flat stomach, with no navel. There was a faint linear scar over the spot, you’d have to look close to see it. Otherwise his stomach was just plain flat, no innie or outie, no nothing. Just flat. Freakiest thing I ever saw. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-innards-are-spilling-out/84180/15 "2001-09-28T04:54:44Z")
Shoulda followed by “gut instinct” and refrained. My late stepfather traumatized me with stories of having to give his brother a manual assist when that happened to him, and misery loves company. Sincere apologies for any psychological damage. :o Geez, **Cervaise** , I’m ashamed enough that I googled around for an illustration, but you _bookmarked_ it? You are a sick, sick entity.