Sunday, 1 September 2013

Leg Lengthening Surgery: Is It Worth The Pain?

By G. Tan


Forget diet, forget HGH, exercise, increase height programs, massage, or any other doubtful or marginal grow taller methods out there. The only surefire method to becoming taller is leg lengthening surgery. This is the only method that will guarantee you'll get taller. However, the process is long, arduous, incredibly painful, pricey, and the risk of possible complications is high.

What exactly is leg lengthening surgery?

Leg lengthening surgery is a surgical procedure where the doctor breaks your shin bones (yes, he really breaks your bones in half) and inserts a telescoping rod. The rods then gradually pulls the bones apart as brand-new bone, nerves, blood vessels, muscle, and skin grow and fills out the space.

The rods pull the bones about one mm daily. It is pulled apart slow enough so that new bone continues to grow, but quickly enough that it does not heal entirely. The entire lengthening process takes about 3 months followed by three to six months of demanding physical therapy.

Recovery and pain management

The entire leg lengthening surgery procedure is extremely painful so proper pain management is necessary. Anti-inflammatory drugs slow bone growth so the kind of pain medication you can take is limited. This means that you have to withstand the entire process with minimum pain medicine.

Because of very little pain medication, physical therapy is very painful, to the point where patients may give up. However, omitting it could extend recovery by two or three times the normal period of 3 to 6 months. It can also prevent the bone from strengthening enough so it could break shortly after.

Getting adequate sleep is important to bone growth and recovery but will be an issue because of the pain and discomfort. Sleeping pills may work at first but they are not safe and eventually will stop working.

Complications and risks

Just like any surgical procedure, there are significant risks. This risk is rather high for a leg lengthening surgery at about 25 %. Potential risks consist of: bone infection, injury to nerves/blood vessels, injury to muscles/tendons, poor bone healing, and unequal lengthening.

But contrary to a lot of the hype, major long term issues are not common. Some clinics claim 0 % long term negative effects and firmly insist the procedure is safe.

So should I get leg lengthening surgery or what?

Leg lengthening costs around $85,000 in the United States but substantially less abroad. You can get it for around $15,000 ~$30,000 in China, Russia, Egypt, or Brazil. India is a bargain at $10,000. But would you actually go to India or Egypt, and even China for a major, life changing procedure such as this? Also, you will most likely need one year of expenses because you will probably be unproductive and be unable to work during this time.

Even if you have the cash, you are talking one year of bed and wheelchair ridden, tremendously painful, unproductive time. However, 3 inches to a short person is a dream come true.

So if you have $100,000, can waste a year, are willing to brave extreme pain and discomfort, can handle excruciating physical therapy and recovery, are willing to risk the complications and possible long term damage, then go for leg lengthening surgery! Three inches really is a lot and will do wonders for your look and self-confidence.




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