Results of Liposuction to Pass Army Tape Test, Easily Pass Fitness Test?

Question

I am a 34 yr old male in the Army. They measure with a tape parallel to the floor across the navel. This maximizes my abdominal fat and flank fat. I have talked to a Dr and may do upper and lower abdomen. My concern is how many circumference inches can I expect to lose considering I have a large volume of superficial fat that causes a hang over and how long will it take for the swelling to subside enough for the inches to be off because I will have a tape test about 3 weeks after surgery.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

If you have a great deal of fat amenable to liposucgtion you should lose several inches at the completion of healing.  However, at 3 weeks you will still be swollen.  Find the plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of liposuction procedures each year.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Vivek Bansal, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Everyone heals differently and results from the surgery depend on 1/3 from the surgeon, 1/3 from the patient, and 1/3 your body. Results will vary with liposuction and will not remove the overhang you have in your skin. This would be best treated with a tummy tuck. You will definitely lose inches with liposuction alone, but many factors determine your results. Be certain to be evaluated by a board certified plastic surgeon who can do an assessment and better answer these questions after a thorough consultation. I hope this helps.

Cameron Rokhsar, MD, FAAD · Answer

Liposuction is used to sculpt areas that exercise just can't seem to take care of it. I always tell every patient that it is not a way to lose weight, and not to expect to completely change clothing sizes, etc. It is more about shaping that it is about actually losing size. Therefore, I would definitely not recommend liposuction for you to pass the army test. You will not lose a significant enough amount to make it worth your money and time, and the recovery period could preclude you from performing many physical activities. If you need to lose a belly, I suggest lots of cardio, eliminating excess sugar (including white breads, cereals, soda, etc), and watching portion sizes carefully. Best of luck!

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

Liposuction is a poor way to control weight, and we would not bet on high volume liposuction to get you through your physical. If the job is important to you, you will need a better plan to get your weight and size down.

Brian K. Brzowski, MD, FACS · Answer

As you've already been told, you will very likely not have an adequate amount of time for the swelling to go away before your measurements are taken:  50% of patients will notice an immediate improvement (not final) and 50% can take 4-6 months before results are seen.  Sorry, nothing will work that quickly.

	 

	Thanks for your service.  I spent a fair amount of my time in the military around you Army guys ----- I can tell you that the Abrams is one bad machine!!

Results of Liposuction to Pass Army Tape Test, Easily Pass Fitness Test?

Answers (6)

Answer: Liposuction to pass physical is a bad bet

Answer: Liposuction to pass physical is a bad bet

Answer: This will be a bad choice

Answer: This will be a bad choice

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Everything you need to know about Liposuction

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Results of Liposuction to Pass Army Tape Test, Easily Pass Fitness Test?

Answers (6)

Answer: Liposuction to pass physical is a bad bet

Answer: Liposuction to pass physical is a bad bet

Answer: This will be a bad choice

Answer: This will be a bad choice

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.