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Gastric Bypass Guide
Is Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding Simply Cosmetic Surgery?
People have been having cosmetic surgery for many years now and more and more of us are popping in for everything from the traditional 'nose job' or 'tummy tuck' to increasingly popular 'liposuction'.
At the same time we are seeing a huge increase in the number of weigh loss surgeries being performed today, especially since the introduction of procedures such as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, and weight loss surgery is also being given a much higher profile as a growing number of overweight or obese celebrities are happy to talk openly about their experience of surgery.
So are we beginning to view modern weight loss surgery techniques as yet another form of cosmetic surgery?
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is just one of many new forms of surgery for weight problems but it is certainly not cosmetic surgery and indeed, unlike cosmetic procedures, it is not a simple case of elective surgery open to all comers.
Weight loss surgery, even in its modern forms, is not something to be undertaken lightly and carries with it a number of risks. In addition, it is designed specifically to deal not simply with a case of being overweight but with the problem of severe, or morbid, obesity.
In other words it is aimed at people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or people who are at least 100 pounds overweight in the case of men and at least 60 pounds overweight in the case of women. People carrying this amount of excess weight are not simply overweigh, but are overweight to the point at which they run the very real risk of developing a number of serious (and in some cases life-threatening) health conditions and for whom surgery becomes not simply a desired option, but a necessity.
But even in these circumstances weight loss surgery is not undertaken lightly and people have to satisfy a whole series of criteria before they will be allowed to undergo surgery, not the least of which is that they must have tried and failed to lose weight on a medically supervised diet and exercise program.
If you do manage to clear the necessary hurdles then laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is one excellent form of weight loss surgery with many fewer risks and complications than some other forms of weight loss surgery which may well be considered appropriate for you.
However, it is not by any stretch of the imagination cosmetic surgery.
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