People horrified at 'unsettling' detail after realising how excess skin removal surgery actually works

A batch of social media users have been left shocked after stumbling across an online demonstration of skin removal surgery, claiming they were totally unaware of one 'unsettling' reality of the procedure.

The revelation comes just days after US television star Tammy Slaton revealed the results of her recent surgery, following a staggering 500lb weight loss.

The 38-year-old shot to fame alongside her sister Amy on the TLC series 1000-lb Sisters, which documented the Kentucky pair's extreme lifestyle transformation.

Since 2020, Tammy has managed to lose several hundred pounds by undergoing a gastric bypass operation, checking into a weight loss rehabilitation facility, implementing a healthier diet, and moving around more.

Following her weight loss, however, she was left with over 15 pounds of excess skin.

Last week, following a subsequent eight-hour-long surgery aimed at removing this excess skin, the TLC star showed off her impressive results, leaving fans - many who have followed her emotional weight loss journey for five years - bursting with pride.

"Tammy has come such a long way!" one gushed online. "Two seasons ago I didn't even think she'd be able to get bariatric surgery and now she looks like a new person! What an amazing transformation."

Another added: "Her smiles are so genuine now. I am so proud of her."

Ever since news of Tammy's transformation hit headlines, however, many fans have been researching the ins and outs of the procedure - several of whom seem to have inadvertently stumbled across a simulation.

In a video shared to Instagram by animator @zackdfilms, a man can be seen undergoing a tummy tuck (also known as an abdominoplasty), where a surgeon makes a horizontal incision along the base of the belly.

Several inches above are then measured, and a chunk of the excess skin is taken away. The remaining skin is then pulled down to meet the incision line, stretching out the belly to appear flatter, before it is stitched back up again.

In these cases, however, the portion of skin being taken away is that which contains the belly button.

As such, during skin removal surgeries, a 'new' belly button is then manually cut out by the surgeon - an aspect of the procedure that many Instagram users seemingly didn't know occurred.

Taking to the comments, one user admitted: "I had no idea that they make a new belly button hole."

Another asked: "Why make a belly button though? Just for the look?"

A third went on to claim: "The new belly button part traumatised me."

While someone else added: "Making a new hole in your skin for a belly button is weirdly unsettling for some reason."