Why does my belly button still look like an outie after hernia repair surgery? (Photo)

Thanks for posting a photo. I'm not sure how long ago the operation was done and that can have an impact on appearance. In general, it takes about 6 weeks for what we call "full recovery" which means that the wound site is at about 98% of original strength. In reality, it takes about 12 months for a wound to completely heal. During this time the scar tissue will soften and the incision site should become much less visible. There are several reasons your hernia repair can look the way it does. First, If you are still in the first 6 weeks then you will have to wait and see what the site does. Second, it could just be the way your abdominal wall is shaped. You appear to be relatively thin and so there many not be much distance between your skin and the connective tissue that it is attached to. Third, it's possible that there is a fluid collection under the skin and you will have to wait for it to be reabsorbed which will allow the skin to sink in. Fourth, your hernia repair may have failed. Based on the photo, I think the repair is fine and that you may just have a very short distance from skin to connective tissue. I recommend you follow up with the surgeon who operated on you and have him/her take a look. Best of luck.