I recently had hernia surgery, I now have an outie belly button. Is this normal?

Question

As the stitches healed my belly button became an outie and I am not sure if I reinjured the hernia or not. It does not really hurt anymore but it obviously feels different.

Rohit Seth, MD, MRCS(Ed), PhD · Answer

Thanks for your question. I agree with my colleague Amir who has also answered this question. See your surgeon again for them a=to examine the area. It might need a small revision to address this area. It may just need a bit longer to settle down.I hope this is of some helpBW

Amir Nakhdjevani, MBBS, MRCS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

Thanks for the question - a picture of the belly button before and after surgery would be very helpful. You shouldnt really develop an 'outie' after a hernai repair as most commonly its the hernia that is causing the outie. Nonetheless, it would be worth seeing your surgeon again to make sure they are aware and can advise. It might be that the scarring below the belly button has madeit appear this way, and as the scarring softens, this will result in the belly button sitting as an innie. You might have thickened scarring that would benefit from a steroid injection to soften. Finally, it might be that you require a redo to address the outie. If it was quite a large hernia, it may well have stretched the skin of the belly button, therefore, more skin needs to be removed which has not retracted back following the surgery.See your surgeon again, and let him examine you.All the best

I recently had hernia surgery, I now have an outie belly button. Is this normal?

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I recently had hernia surgery, I now have an outie belly button. Is this normal?

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Belly Button Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.