Do you know what the growing trend in cosmetic surgery is? Yes, believe it or not; the current growing trend in cosmetic surgery is limb-lengthening operations. The process, quite expensive though, can add 2-3 inches of height to the patient not to mention getting your legs broken. This procedure used to be the last resort for folks suffering from dwarfism or for children having uneven limbs. However, nowadays many are opting for the procedure only for the sake of cosmetic reasons.
The first step of the surgery is to break the leg and insert rods in the legs
The procedure begins with a doctor breaking the shin bones of the patient and then incorporating a telescopic rod into the broken bones. As the bone is healed over time, the rod pulls the bones apart gradually. The pull has been calculated to be about 1 mm per day. Once the bone is stretched, new nerves, bone, arteries and skin grow in order to fill the gap. The process takes about 3 months while adding 2-3 inches to the overall height. The patient has to undergo a couple months of physiotherapy to completely recover from the surgery.
An orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dror Paley from Florida had done 650 such operations to his name by 2012. He says that the majority of his patients were those with dwarfism or deformities of extreme nature and some of the patients simply had height dysphoria and were not happy with the results of psychotherapy. He said, “They’re unhappy with their height. It’s one of those few psychologic-psychiatric disorders that you can actually cure with the knife.”
Shanghai orthopaedic surgeon Bai Helong is one of the doctors doing this surgery
The surgery costs about $85,000 or more in US and a lot of people find it more feasible to travel to India where the operation is much more affordable. Dr. Amar Sarin who is an orthopedic surgeon working in New Delhi and has found his expertise in this particular kind of operation, said, “Initially, most of my patients were from the US, Europe and China. But it has changed over the past three years. Indians now account for two in three surgeries.” Another orthopedic surgeon working in New Delhi, Dr. Manish Dhawan said, “I do not advocate it for cosmetic reasons because there can be complications such as infection and neurovascular complications because of the insertion, osteoporosis at the site of the fracture.”
The Final Result
The procedure has become quite popular in China as well. Kong Jim-wen actually spent around $8,000 to increase her height back in 2003 despite being a healthy female without any ailment. She said, “It hurts, but it will be worth it to be. I’ll have more opportunities in life and a better chance of finding a good job and husband.” According to her parents who had paid for the operation, “It’s an investment in our daughter’s future. Because she was short, she used to lack confidence, but this should change that.” Watch the following video to
