It has been 8 mos. Why is my stomach protruding and hard as if I’m pregnant? (Photo)

Dear MichelleMiMi,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what went wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

If it is flat when you wake up and the protrudes as the day progresses, you may have some food allergies that cause your abdomen (large colon) to swell as you eats those foods. Bread and dairy are often the culprits. Your surgeon can tell if any excess fluid is present and needs to be drained. You can ask for an ultrasound to check if you want.

From your photos and description it appears the contour that concerns you is likely from visceral fat. This cannot be addressed through a tummy tuck, but weight loss should bring improvement. It could possibly a fail of the diastasis repair which would require surgical intervention to correct.

Base on your photos and brief description, your abdominal roundness is due to visceral fat which is treated with diet and exercise. The intermittent lower abdominal swelling is a weird presentation. Free fluid (seroma) would not come and go during the day and would be seen on sonogram. I would say, rare for 8 months post-op, that the fullness is due to fluid in the cells (regular swelling) which should disappear with time.

My impression is you were overweight before you had the TT? If yes, then your expectations for "flat" abdomen are not going to be achieved. Either seek virtual or in person second opinion consults for TT revision or liposuction of the thick layer of fat in your abdomen. Also try to diet and exercise to lose weight, please. Expect fees in the $6,000-$8,000 ranges.

The most common reason patients have a bulging of their abdomen after a tummy tuck is due to obesity and excess visceral or intra-abdominal fat.

With weight loss the visceral fat and intra-abdominal content will shrink flattening the abdomen.

Those who have excess visceral fat should be told about this during consultations because without weight loss patients will have a limited outcome.

My best guess is the presence of visceral fat was visible on your before pictures.

Try dropping 10 pounds and I think you’ll have a significantly flatter abdomen.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

Hi and welcome to our forum!From your photos, I note the first demonstrates a full abdomen, the second demonstrates significant protuberance, and the third appears to demonstrate an early postoperative photo.BMI, or body mass index (weight in kg / square of height in meters) is one criterion to determine the results of a cosmetic surgery. You can find BMI calculators on the internet. If your BMI is greater than 30, the cosmetic result will not be optimal. If your BMI is greater than 35, your operative risk will rise. Your BMI is 31.24. I cannot determine the cause of the protuberance from these photographs. An in-person examination is required. However, the presence of an overabundance of visceral fat cannot be excluded.Best wishes...