I had the band and I lost a bunch of weight and when I tell people how they say, "oh, plastic surgery is so dangerous!"

So, is the band plastic surgery?

the band is absolutely not plastic surgery. yes you do look better afterwards. but the primary purpose is to improve your health. not your looks! how great my jeans look is just an added bonus!

According the The American Board of Plastic Surgery’s website:

“ Plastic surgery deals with the repair, reconstruction, or replacement of physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, craniomaxillofacial structures, hand, extremities, breast and trunk, external genitalia or cosmetic enhancement of these areas of the body… The plastic surgeon uses cosmetic surgical principles both to improve overall appearance and to optimize the outcome of reconstructive procedures. Special knowledge and skill in the design and surgery of grafts, flaps, free tissue transfer and replantation is necessary… Anatomy, physiology, pathology, and other basic sciences are fundamental to the specialty… Competency in plastic surgery implies an amalgam of basic medical and surgical knowledge, operative judgment, technical expertise, ethical behavior, and interpersonal skills to achieve problem resolution and patient satisfaction.”

So no, it is not.

I had some minor issues like a bad ankle that were my final straw that led me to being banded. I realised I had almost exhausted the protection of being young and female (in terms of heart disease risk and the like) by 37 too. I wasnt getting any younger and I would have bet my biological age was more like 50. I was concerned with preventing future health problems and improving my quality of life.

But 70% of it was I was miserable about my appearance at a BMI of 36. I was enormous, bloated and I felt disgusting. I couldnt dress how I wanted, I always looked like a slob no matter what I did. I wanted to look and feel better about myself.

So what? That may make it "plastic surgery" to some degree and I'm fine by that. I find it funny how its acceptable to have silicone bags put in your chest, because people recognise that mental health, self image and the like are an important part of our overall health and if it helps those, its beneficial. Yet somehow having a lapand is ever so much more dangerous (how? its a short quick surgery without the problems of encapsulation, hardening, wound breakdown, leakage etc that plastic surgery can entail) and should not be undertaken "lightly".

I believe its both a health promoting surgery and a fantastic surgery that improves how you look a millionfold and that BOTH reasons are equally valid.

No it is not. But you made me think of a funny story. I met a friend in Las Vegas and I was explaining the lapband to her. She just didn't get it. The whole time we were there, she kept asking me "Can you eat this with your tummy tuck?" I just laughed and told her yes or no. People are just uneducated when it comes to the band. Becky

It isn't! But some people even in the medical field put it with plastic surgery and consider it cosmetic. For many of us it was an option that will probably save our lives.

My sample my dad had heart by-pass in his early 40's, he finally died in a car accident at 68 when his pacemaker went off while he was driving. My brother died at 43 of a massive heart attack and all of my uncles (4) died of heart attacks.

I'm 47 and I had angioplasti and got 2 stints in 04, my BP is very high, I have hereditary high cholestrol. I've treid almost every diet out there with no long term success, my primary care doctor felt this might be the key to my health.

So as far as I'm concerned it's not cosmetic:angry:!!!!! But you know what if I get down to the lean 180's I may have a tummy tuck done so I can wear a speedo at that beachs in Europe....

Edited April 25, 200917 yr by JayTee562

Jay, go for it!!!! Everybody needs a goal and wearing a speedo is as good as any!!! Make sure you post pictures!!!! Your family history is terrible, congratulations on making the band decision!!!

Mimi

No, absolutely not! Lap band surgery (or gastric bypass or any of the other procedures out there for weight loss) are strictly for the improvement of the health of the individual. The fact that your appearance is improved as a result is a beneficial "side effect". Kind of like when they reduced the speed limit on the freeway to 55 to save gave ... and they discovered that fewer people were dying in car crashes on the freeway because of the reduced speed. So you have lap band surgery to get rid of the weight before it kills you ... maybe to resolve Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pain in your knees and ankles. And you start to feel better so quickly! And, as a wonderful side effect you start looking better, wearing smaller and theremore morelikely more stylish clothes. Your friends are part of a very large percent of people who are totally ignorant about weight loss surgery.

Tell them "Yes, I have a bit of plastic in me but it's not plastic surgery"

Any surgery can be dangerous.

I'm not going to lie to you people, I did it 90% to look better and 10% to be healthy. Does that change anything?

Well, like I said it was very much a cosmetic procedure to me too.

And like most cosmetic procedures it has improved my life enormously, made great impact on my self esteem and mental health, given me an optimistic and enthusiastic outlook AND improved my physical health and quality of life for years to come!

I joke about it all the time that I had plastic surgery!!