I just had umbilical hernia surgery a week ago. My hernia is repaired but I still have an "outie." Is this normal? (photo)

The recovery time can vary from one patient to another. With any type of abdominal surgery this period of swelling can lasts for weeks to months before you see your final result

Thank you for your picture.  Hernia surgery is not aesthetic surgery.  It is a medical procedure typically performed by a general surgeon.  Aesthetics is not a factor in the outcome.

I would recommend that you wait several months as some of the skin will shrink over time. At that point in time, you can consider revision if still needed.

The very short answer for you is to have patience!!!.  It is not uncommon to have tremendous swelling shortly after surgery which masks the cosmetic outcome to follow.  When the swelling resolves, you and your surgeon may re-evlauate your umbilicus.Dr. T

We often repair umbilical hernias, sometimes as a part of tummy tuck, but also as a stand alone procedure. The hernia is a weak spot or opening in the wall and will fill with a bit of inside fat covered by the hernia sac. The hernia is reduced when repaired, or in other words the fat is pushed back in and the hole closed over. If the fat will not go in the sac is opened and the fat removed and then the hole closed. Your outie should then be tucked in and be a inie again. We don't know if you have extra skin or what is amiss.

Without in person examination and a copy of the operative report very hard to determine if this appearance is normal.. 

A hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall.  In your case it is a defect in the abdominal wall connected to your belly button.  The hernia can be fixed but the appearance of the belly button may be influenced by a number of other factors.  Since it is early I would encourage you to wait as some of the fullness you see may be swelling.  Once healing is complete you can re-assess your results and decide what if anything you will want to do at that point.All the best,Dr. Remus Repta

I would want to know if you told your surgeon about your expectations as you have told us in your query. At any rate, some of this may be swelling that can be expected to resolve. Otherwise, this can probably corrected under local anesthesia once all the swelling has resolved. All the best. 

Dear heetoe2,Thanks for your question and photos. One week after surgery is still really early in the healing period. It is likely that there is still a lot of swelling under your umbilical skin. As you heal, and as this swelling resolves, you should see your umbilicus "normalize". Be sure and see your surgeon in follow-up and be patient. Although revision may be necessary, it's too soon to tell and hopefully all will work out just fine.