Is Lap-band Surgery Right for You?

In the philosophical sense, the question of whether something is right or wrong is a question that is not easily answered. While the question of rightness in the sense of lap-band surgery is not philosophical but rather scientific in nature, it is nevertheless not that easy to answer because what is right for one person might be wrong for another. Therefore, the only way to judge whether lap band surgery is right for you is to take a look at the main advantages and disadvantages of the procedure and then determine if the former outweigh the latter from your particular perspective. The rest of this article will help you get a start on that process.

Advantages

The main advantage of lap-band surgery is that there is no actual change happening to the internal workings of any of your organs. While the procedure itself does have some invasive aspects to it, none of your internal organs will be opened or changed in any way. Instead, you will have a band inserted around the stomach that can then be used to gently contract the stomach in such a way as to constrict the amount of food you can have in there at any given point in time. For someone that is nervous about internal organ arrangements or has had bad experiences with previous invasive procedures, lap-band might be an effective way around that particular problem.

Another advantage of lap-band surgery is that you can actually change the size of the band yourself. You do not need to see a doctor in order to have that happen and for that reason your recovery time will be full of periods spent at home rather than in a doctors office. For someone that would have to travel a long way to see their doctor or for someone that is not really comfortable with making frequent trips to the doctors office, this might be another aspect of lap-band surgery that they might find appealing.

Disadvantages

The above point regarding lack of visitation to the doctors office assumes that nothing will go wrong with the lap band. Of course, living in the modern world of health mechanics, this is not entirely a fair assumption to make. A lap band is a piece of equipment and like any other piece of equipment, something can go wrong with it. The band can break, wear down, or even move away from the stomach and surround another organ if too much jostling takes place. Therefore, extra care is required in maintenance and a problem could be very painful for the person involved. For someone that is leery about this type of complication, lap-band surgery would probably not be the best course of action to take.

Finally, there is also the fear aspect. While lap-band surgery is not as invasive as something like gastric bypass, it does involve the introduction of a foreign object into your body. For someone that is afraid of something like that in phobia terms, lap-band surgery once again is probably a bad idea.

April 26 2009 | Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »

Heal Skin Faster After Cosmetic Surgery And Minimize Scars

Results after a cosmetic surgery can be improved by patients helping themselves and avoiding some bad habits.By using some preventative measures as they heal, they can reduce the risk of scars.These are some general guidelines for before and after surgery.

Everybody knows how bad smoking is for you.Most people don't realize how detrimental it is to the healing process of the skin and every other tissue in the body.Tissues needs oxygen to function and if injured they need oxygen rich blood to heal. Smoking constricts the blood vessels so much that blood flow is reduced.Any form of nicotine must be avoided before and after surgery. This includes patches and gum containing nicotine. There is a huge risk of severe scarring and skin loss in patients using nicotine in almost all cosmetic surgery procedures.

Lack of oxygen to the cells can cause necrosis or "cell death" of otherwise healthy cells. In other words smoking causes healthy skin cells to die and delays healing which can lead to bad scars or skin loss during the healing process.Most cosmetic professionals will recommend quiting smoking long before surgery and long after for best results.

Anti-inflammatory drugs should also be avoided. They should be avoided two to three weeks before and after surgery. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medication causes your blood to thin. If your blood is thinned then your risk of bleeding post operative is increased. Vitamin-E is also causes the blood to thin and should be avoided. Talk to your doctor about what OTC (over the counter) medications should not be taken.

Drink water. Water helps to keep blood volumes high so that skin cells will receives the oxygen and nutrients they need to flourish.It also helps flush toxins from your body.Let your thirst be your guide to knowing how much water you need. Just be sure your getting enough.

If your not drinking enough water, your body can become dehydrated. Dehydration can cause loss of skin elasticity and loss of fullness of the skin.If you have dry skin, this could be a sign that your not getting enough water. There are conflicting studies on whether or not caffeine causes dehydration but most doctors recommend reducing consumption of coffee tea and sodas.It is best to avoid these drinks completely for three weeks before and after surgery.

The cosmetic surgeon will give you instructions on how to take care of your body during the healing process. The surgeon will explain proper ways to protect yourself from infection. This may include how to change your bandages or dressings properly. To avoid or reduce your risk of complications during this time pay close attention to your surgeon.

A period of time after plastic surgery should be dedicated to recovery.Do not go back to work or do any strenuous activities until your doctor says it's OK. This could be three days to three weeks depending on the procedure. Avoid direct sunlight after cosmetic surgery.Apply ice packs if there is swelling around the surgery site during the first 2-3 days after surgery . Do not apply directly, use a thin towel between the swollen area and the icepack.

April 25 2009 | Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »