How can I treat this upper bulge 6 months after tummy tuck and muscle repair? (Photo)

If you are having your upper abdomen protrude outwards it may be that abdominal repair was not performed on that area. It could also be visceral/internal fat which produces that look. At 6 months post op if you have not had any improvement it is not likely a result of swelling.

To make an accurate assessment on the outcome of any plastic surgical procedure we need to see before and after pictures.
If you don’t have proper it before and after pictures and then ask your surgeon to forward the ones they took.
I don’t think anyone can give you a good assessment based on pictures alone so you’ll probably need to do it in person a second opinion consultations.
Bulging of the upper abdomen after a tummy tuck usually forms due to either the patient being barrel chested with aggressive muscle tightening of the lower abdomen, or individuals with excess visceral fat making the upper abdomen bulge after reducing intra-abdominal volume from muscle tightening.
Usually the bulging scene from those two conditions is slightly different than your outcome. it’s important to know if you had liposuction done during the procedure. It’s also important to differentiate how thick the subcutaneous fat layer is and get a clear understanding of the contour of the abdominal wall itself. to do that requires an examination.
Other potential explanations could be an undrained seroma. Were drains placed during surgery?
Your belly button stalk should’ve been cut shorter so it’s pulling in on the skin rather than the other way around. Different people have different types of belly buttons and some are easier to work with than others. Individuals with very deep belly buttons are more favorable and easier to work with for this procedure. for those who have a shallow belly button the stalk of the belly button should be anchored to the muscle fascia to get a pulled in appearance.
Depending on the shape of your belly button itself whether it’s deep or shallow will dictate how easy it will be to revise.
At six months you no longer have swelling and swelling would present in your lower abdomen not your upper abdomen due to gravity.
If your surgeon is not willing to take responsibility for his or her work then seek second opinion by having proper in person second opinion consultations.
For a second opinion consultations patients should come prepared with copies of their operative report and all before and after pictures. These are all available from your surgeons office if you request them as they are part of your medical record.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD