If you're not happy with the other parts of your body you can change them through fairly routine cosmetic surgery but this is something that couldn't be fixed. She added, For a long time I thought nothing could be done.

When she was just 23 years old, she had a chance conversation with her friends that alerted her to the idea of limb prolongation, a cosmetic surgical operation that is popular in Italy, China, and the USA, but is little known in Australia. She recalled, "My ears just pricked up and I thought 'wow, this is incredible'.”

I had an epidural so I was awake for the whole thing, it was a four-hour operation. She added, I know this sounds quite weird and a lot of people probably won't understand it, but I was so excited. It was a day that I had been waiting for such a long time, I relished that four hours. I was laying there and I recall quite vividly thinking this is just great, I'm finally here, I'm getting this done and it's going to change my life forever.

For the next 9 months, Ban's legs were stretched out every single day as the broken bones healed. This ultimately lifted her to 5 feet, 4 inches. After the frames were taken out, for 3 months, she had both her legs in plaster, and she said that it was a "good solid year" before she went "back to wearing heels and back to normal life.”

Sylvia Metcalfe, who is an Australian genetics researcher, stated that the rigorous surgical procedure was primarily used in Australia for those who are suffering from dwarfism. Some people have reservations about the procedure’s cosmetic use. She said, "One of the most controversial aspects is people's perceptions of themselves.” She added that the consequences and complications could include muscle, joint and nerve damage, disfiguration, arthritis, chronic pain, and infection.

In 2006, Beijing banned the surgical procedure after a series of botched-up operations. The procedure was carried out there by a mostly unregulated cosmetic industry for the image-conscious people. The 2006 ban stated that only medical facilities that performed no less than 400 orthopedic surgical procedures a year and recommended postsurgical care and rehabilitation were allowed to continue the operation and only on purely medical grounds. The surgical procedure, which is well liked by young Chinese professionals who thought that height would aid them in climbing the career ladder, was developed in Russia to assist people with dwarfism.

Ban told the surgical procedure only to her closest family and friends, and she said that many were surprised. She remarked,

It is extreme, it is different and it is unique. But I don't judge people about how they look and I don't want people to judge me and who I am based on a medical decision that I made seven years ago.

In 2006, Ban was voted to Queensland state's Logan City Council, and in 2007, she made a failed attempt for the Australian parliament. After the procedure, she said that insecurity about her height "just seemed to vanish" and that she had a newfound self-belief in her professional integrity. However, she conceded,

But I guess had I not had this operation I probably wouldn't be insecure about my height at this age because I would just accept who I am. As you get older as a woman I think you become more mellow and you become more comfortable in your own skin.

In spite of all of this, Ban mentioned that she had no regrets and she said that she resisted on being labeled for the message that her story could convey to young women. She stated,

A lot of women can look within and find happiness within but there are a lot of women, just through the way that society is and the pressure that we have, have insecurity and have some self-doubt. She also added, I think harnessing or using surgery that's out there for cosmetic applications is acceptable if it makes people feel good about themselves. I'm an advocate for women feeling good about themselves by whatever means necessary and available.