---

[McLovin80]

- - - -

Edited December 27, 2013 by McLovin80

[deaddebate]

Read AFI 41-210, para. 2.52.

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk

[ForgotPassword]

1) Are you a chick?

2) If yes, see #3

3) I'm a doctor, see #4

4) I need pictures to assess

[Day Man]

Am I correct on this, or missing a key aspect?

Ummm...any reason you can't just eat better and work out?

[spaceman]

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[Learjetter]

Ummm...any reason you can't just eat better and work out?

EXERCISE

ex-er-size

Eggs-are-sides

For

BACON

[jcj]

I tried searching and didn't find any prior information on this topic so I'm hoping a flight doc can help me out.

I've been contemplating getting SmartLipo before my class dates to help with my waist circumference for the PT tests (I pass them but it'd be nice to not have to worry excessively).

It's an in office procedure and you're awake during the procedure so I would believe it would be something I don't need to report/ something that wouldn't disqualify me.

Am I correct on this, or missing a key aspect?

If it would be problematic I wouldn't undergo it as my primary reason for doing it would be to help me through my dates.

Any info?

(sorry this is long but it's important. My qualifications - I am a board certified general surgeon).

It would be inappropriate for me to give you my opinion re: whether or not you should do this (don't know you, your health, career goals, etc) Of course deaddebate is - no surprise - right on with the regulatory references.

But I will give you some important suggestions if you choose to do it - In short, if you are going to do it; be smart about it. Of utmost importance, be sure you are being cared for by a properly qualified surgeon. Although many patients have liposuction safely every year, it is a significant operation with lots of potential complications. Of course there is no minor surgery if you are the one having the surgery, but liposuction (particularly of a big area like the abdomen to get your waist circumference down) is not a minor "nip & tuck". Unfortunately in some states there are (a few) physicians with "less than optimal" training who've hung out a shingle and do liposuction in their own office, without the appropriate procedural safeguards & medical emergency response plans/procedures. From time to time over the years, there have been a few cases with disastrous results. Some states are clamping down on this, but others are not - and since this is usually an outpatient procedure, the safety rules that apply to hospital inpatient care don't necessarily apply to a physician doing this work in his/her office.

Here's how to avoid becoming one of those patients with a disastrous result:

Your surgeon should be "board certified' by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and be current and participating in Maintenance of Certification (MOC). You can look up your surgeon & check that here: https://www.abplsurg.org/ModDefault.aspx?section=SurgeonSearch or here: http://www.abms.org. Beware that there are some "boards" that exist for various reasons that do not meet the appropriate quality standards, particularly in plastic surgery - again, the official board that meets the high standards of quality and safety you want for this is the American Board of Plastic Surgery (and no other).

Ideally, your surgeon should also be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). You can check that at http://www.facs.org.

Every year there are also a few recently trained plastic surgeons who are in the process of being certified. In this case, the http://abplsurg.org web page will probably say "in the examination process". It's OK if this is the situation with your surgeon, as the standards to enter the exam process are very demanding and it takes at least two years of practice to become board certified after completion of a plastic surgery residency.

Otherwise, if your surgeon isn't board certified and participating in MOC, you should find out why before you agree to use that surgeon. Best thing to do is just ask the surgeon.

I's also a good idea to figure out if your surgeon has admitting privileges at a local hospital. I explain more below that this operation doesn't necessarily have to be done in the hospital, but getting hospital privileges at a local hospital means your surgeon has agreed to have his/her work scrutinized by his/her peers to maintain quality standards. It also means that they'll be no issues with getting someone to admit you to the hospital in the unlikely event that there is a complication & need to come in the hospital for a little while.

Also know that despite the name, SmartLipo is not just a little "nip & tuck", it's a significant operation. The risk of a serious, or even a life-threatening complication is pretty low - ***BUT IT IS NOT ZERO*** - your surgeon or a member of his/her team should explain this in detail when they obtain your consent for the surgery.

These days almost all of these cases are done in outpatient surgery centers or specially equipped surgeon's offices - I think this is safe as long as they have the necessary emergency equipment to take care of you if there were to be an emergency. You should also ask your surgeon about this; no reputable surgeon will have a problem with you asking about that & discussing with you.

In fact, no reputable surgeon will have any problem with answering any of these questions, discussing the surgical plan, alternatives, the surgeon's experience overall and with this operation and or any other question you have about the operation (although sometimes we are pressed for time or we have to look something up & get back with you).

In fact, if you end up seeing a surgeon who is just unwilling to discuss these issues with you or answer your questions about the surgery, you should get up and ***RUN*** (not walk) out of that surgeon's office and find another one.

Again, no opinion from me whether or not you should do this, but I wanted you to have good info if you decide to. Also, I don't at all mean to scare you away from the operation - it's done safely thousands of times a year by surgeons who are well qualified & make sure that patient safety is the top priority - but I just wanted to be sure that you (and others who might read this under similar circumstances) know what's important to be sure you have a safe experience if you choose to. If you'd like to ask me anything else, you're welcome to reply or PM me and I'll give it a try. If your question is too patient specific, I'll probably give you a general answer & refer you to your doc for specifics.

All the best to you if you decide to give it a go.

[McLovin80]

Ummm...any reason you can't just eat better and work out?

I do have a good diet and workout routine. To be honest my body fat percent is 17% and I score 95-97% on my PTs so it's not that I'm not doing so. Just have a fat pocket around my torso I can't get rid of.

[nsplayr]

I do have a good diet and workout routine. To be honest my body fat percent is 17% and I score 95-97% on my PTs so it's not that I'm not doing so. Just have a fat pocket around my torso I can't get rid of.

Ok, honest question...are you a chick or something? Jebus, man up and act somewhat like the warriors of days gone by.

If you have 17% bf and a great PT score but are still unhappy with yourself either apply a little more elbow grease and discipline or learn how to be happy with yourself.

Plastic surgery not related to fixing horrific injuries or birth defects is incredibly dumb.

If you want that minor gut gone to impress the ladies or whatever stop eating sugar 6 days a week and invest in a trainer or even a little mild internet research on fitness.

Merry Christmas, hopefully Santa brings you some common sense.

[McLovin80]

(sorry this is long but it's important. My qualifications - I am a board certified general surgeon).

It would be inappropriate for me to give you my opinion re: whether or not you should do this (don't know you, your health, career goals, etc) Of course deaddebate is - no surprise - right on with the regulatory references.

But I will give you some important suggestions if you choose to do it - In short, if you are going to do it; be smart about it. Of utmost importance, be sure you are being cared for by a properly qualified surgeon. Although many patients have liposuction safely every year, it is a significant operation with lots of potential complications. Of course there is no minor surgery if you are the one having the surgery, but liposuction (particularly of a big area like the abdomen to get your waist circumference down) is not a minor "nip & tuck". Unfortunately in some states there are (a few) physicians with "less than optimal" training who've hung out a shingle and do liposuction in their own office, without the appropriate procedural safeguards & medical emergency response plans/procedures. From time to time over the years, there have been a few cases with disastrous results. Some states are clamping down on this, but others are not - and since this is usually an outpatient procedure, the safety rules that apply to hospital inpatient care don't necessarily apply to a physician doing this work in his/her office.

Here's how to avoid becoming one of those patients with a disastrous result:

Your surgeon should be "board certified' by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and be current and participating in Maintenance of Certification (MOC). You can look up your surgeon & check that here: https://www.abplsurg.org/ModDefault.aspx?section=SurgeonSearch or here: http://www.abms.org. Beware that there are some "boards" that exist for various reasons that do not meet the appropriate quality standards, particularly in plastic surgery - again, the official board that meets the high standards of quality and safety you want for this is the American Board of Plastic Surgery (and no other).

Ideally, your surgeon should also be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). You can check that at http://www.facs.org.

Every year there are also a few recently trained plastic surgeons who are in the process of being certified. In this case, the http://abplsurg.org web page will probably say "in the examination process". It's OK if this is the situation with your surgeon, as the standards to enter the exam process are very demanding and it takes at least two years of practice to become board certified after completion of a plastic surgery residency.

Otherwise, if your surgeon isn't board certified and participating in MOC, you should find out why before you agree to use that surgeon. Best thing to do is just ask the surgeon.

I's also a good idea to figure out if your surgeon has admitting privileges at a local hospital. I explain more below that this operation doesn't necessarily have to be done in the hospital, but getting hospital privileges at a local hospital means your surgeon has agreed to have his/her work scrutinized by his/her peers to maintain quality standards. It also means that they'll be no issues with getting someone to admit you to the hospital in the unlikely event that there is a complication & need to come in the hospital for a little while.

Also know that despite the name, SmartLipo is not just a little "nip & tuck", it's a significant operation. The risk of a serious, or even a life-threatening complication is pretty low - ***BUT IT IS NOT ZERO*** - your surgeon or a member of his/her team should explain this in detail when they obtain your consent for the surgery.

These days almost all of these cases are done in outpatient surgery centers or specially equipped surgeon's offices - I think this is safe as long as they have the necessary emergency equipment to take care of you if there were to be an emergency. You should also ask your surgeon about this; no reputable surgeon will have a problem with you asking about that & discussing with you.

In fact, no reputable surgeon will have any problem with answering any of these questions, discussing the surgical plan, alternatives, the surgeon's experience overall and with this operation and or any other question you have about the operation (although sometimes we are pressed for time or we have to look something up & get back with you).

In fact, if you end up seeing a surgeon who is just unwilling to discuss these issues with you or answer your questions about the surgery, you should get up and ***RUN*** (not walk) out of that surgeon's office and find another one.

Again, no opinion from me whether or not you should do this, but I wanted you to have good info if you decide to. Also, I don't at all mean to scare you away from the operation - it's done safely thousands of times a year by surgeons who are well qualified & make sure that patient safety is the top priority - but I just wanted to be sure that you (and others who might read this under similar circumstances) know what's important to be sure you have a safe experience if you choose to. If you'd like to ask me anything else, you're welcome to reply or PM me and I'll give it a try. If your question is too patient specific, I'll probably give you a general answer & refer you to your doc for specifics.

All the best to you if you decide to give it a go.

Thank you so much for going over everything in such detail! I appreciate your time with that and the information really helps. I'm not sure if I'll go through with it but wanted to get as much information as possible before diving into it. If I do I'll look for one who is board certified in plastic surgery and preferably FACS. Thank you again!

[McLovin80]

Ok, honest question...are you a chick or something? Jebus, man up and act somewhat like the warriors of days gone by.

If you have 17% bf and a great PT score but are still unhappy with yourself either apply a little more elbow grease and discipline or learn how to be happy with yourself.

Plastic surgery not related to fixing horrific injuries or birth defects is incredibly dumb.

If you want that minor gut gone to impress the ladies or whatever stop eating sugar 6 days a week and invest in a trainer or even a little mild internet research on fitness.

Merry Christmas, hopefully Santa brings you some common sense.

Dude, you have nothing better to do other than comment your useless thoughts?

Unless you know someone's complete reasons for doing what they're doing, then please for the good of mankind, stop growing a pair behind a keyboard and go do something useful.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[nsplayr]

Dude, you have nothing better to do other than comment your useless thoughts?

Unless you know someone's complete reasons for doing what they're doing, then please for the good of mankind, stop growing a pair behind a keyboard and go do something useful.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Haters gon hate. Really...it's not ok to give a dude shit who's talking about getting lipo rather than just working out more and/or learning how to just call it good? I'd gladly give that person shit in person if they were in my squadron.

I get that we're a kinder, gentler Air Force and hell, I'm supposed to be the token pansy liberal, but come on, a story like this is absolutely begging for a callsign.

Bah humbug, maybe I should just learn to be nicer? Like I said, merry Christmas and hopefully Santa brings the OP some common sense in his stocking this year.