How do I "test" to know if the muscle repair work is still intact?

Dear Maru,   Front and side view pictures would have been helpful and sorry for your freaking out. The abdominal  muscles repair, is done with multiple very strong permanent sutures and I can't  imagine that coughing will break the repair or even stretch it.    I do not know if you wear an abdominal binder, but my patients do and it is an additional  helps to protect the abdomen from situation like the one that you described.  In any event, if the stomach was flat after surgery and is bulging now, there might be a connection to coughing spell. In that case, it is a good idea to wear the abdominal binder 24/7 , to allow the scar between the muscles to tighten up and strengthen.    With all that said, call your surgeon's office and make a follow up appointment , for your peace of mind. Though, I feel that the whole event was just a muscle pull, without any long term consequences.                        All the best,                                              Dr Widder

Thanks for your question. From what you have described, it is unlikely that you broke a suture and compromised the muscle repair. There is no way to test the rectus muscle repair so the best option is to follow-up closely with your plastic surgeon to ensure that your recovery process goes smoothly. Good luck with your recovery and all the best. 

You should follow up with your doc.  The muscle repair should not be "tested" .  AN exam would be helpful.