FAQ About Limb Lengthening Surgery

There are Ilizarov, Holyfix, LON/LATN, Precice methods which are used in limb lengthening surgery. LON is currently the most preferred method by our patients due to its short recovery period and relatively low price. However, Precice 2 is a much safer, more comfortable, and less risky method, although it can be pricey for some patients. For detailed information, please visit Limb Lengthening Surgery Methods

For cosmetic reasons, it is preferable not to lengthen over 6-8 cm per segment. We believe that safety and health of our patients need to come first. It is extremely dangerous and risky to attempt lengthening femurs more than 8 cm and tibia more than 7 cm. If a patient desires to gain, for example, something between 10-15 cm, it is more reasonable to get 5-8 cm on femur, then later 5-7 cm on tibia, rather than attempting to lengthen 10 cm on one bone section. The flexibility of your legs is also important. The more flexible your legs are, the more relaxed you will be during the lengthening.

Limb lengthening procedure and the following recovery process may take some time, but eventually you can get back your pre-surgery health and do sports that you want. For many types of sports, you may have to wait up to 1-1.5 years after your surgery. The main thing to do is to be patient, stick to the instructions of your LL doctor, take physiotherapy sessions and care about your overall health.

Scars that are formed on the legs after surgery depend on the method of operation. The most scars occurs in the ilizarov method and the least occurs in the internal fixation method. As a matter of fact, these scars can be reduced and became unnoticeable by aesthetic methods.

You can walk at home or get out to walk with devices on your legs. It is advisable to walk as long as it is not too extreme. At the same time, you can also do your works that you do not need much to stand up.

You will be in bed the first day. 2^nd day you can use walker  and do your needs. Depending on your situation you will spend 3-5 days at the hospital. You have to be patient for the first two months after the operation. Because every day you will be 1 mm longer. With time, there may be tension  on your legs. But this is temporary. After the lengthening  is over, the pain is reduced and the tension ends.

Online Consultation with the doctor costs 100 $. If you want to arrange an online consultation with him at the earliest possible date and time, you can schedule your consultation by contacting the patient consultation expert. The payment is made through the bank.

It is recommended to do stretching exercises, go swimming etc. in order to increase the flexibility of leg muscles. Besides physical preparation for surgery, it is equally important to prepare yourself psychologically. It can be beneficial to have conversations with those who already had LL surgery. You may also want to watch and read about the experiences of our LL patients
Hasan’s video diary

My reflection for having limb lengthening surgery (Michael from Australia)

Contrary to popular belief, limb lengthening surgery has less percentages of risk compared to many surgical procedures. One of the least possible risks are non-union, slow union of bones, and fast bone union, which may be a reason for another operation or getting treatment to fix this. Moreover, one of the most common complications can be infection, and it mostly is seen on the surface or around the pin sites ( LON Method). Yet, it is quite treatable without causing serious problems. We must note that internal methods such as Precice 2 or Stryde have lower infection risks compared to the other methods. Please visit our blog and read more about complications & risks;

https://wannabetaller.com/limb-lengthening-side-effects-complications

Yes of course. We see enormous interest from various places of the world, especially from the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada etc. Since high quality limb lengthening operations and post-op services are very expensive in most of these countries, Turkey appears to be a good choice by means of both reasonable price and high quality. Similarly, from countries such as Indonesia, India, Cambodia and Azerbaijan there are many people interested in leg lengthening surgery in Turkey.

After undergoing LL surgery, our patients from abroad can return home after staying in hospital for 5-7 days and continue the procedure from their own country, or they can request for accommodation close to the hospital and get help from us. Those who stay far away can have check-ups and send the results and images via WhatsApp for doctor evaluation.

It is actually possible to become shorter with limb shortening surgery. You can become up to 4-5 cm shorter with this surgery. For more info about this surgery feel free to contact us.

After bones have consolidated and become strong enough, and the muscles have been adjusted and strengthened sufficiently by physiotherapy and exercises, it is possible to do any kind of sports, including football, heavy weight lifting, martial arts etc.

Pain is a very individual thing in limb lengthening, but most patients have the most pain in the first week or so after the effect of anesthesia goes away. This difficult period can be overcome with the help of painkiller pills and injections. As time passes, pain fades away and it is usually minimal on the 2–3 rd weeks.

Cosmetic limb lengthening surgery and the following distraction process is and must be done within safe and acceptable limits. These maximum limits are 7–8 cm for femur, and 6–7 cm for tibia. If a patient doesn’t have already too thin and/or unusually long legs, then this amount of leg length increase is not likely to cause body disproportion. Up to now, none of our limb lengthening patients have had a complaint in this regard.

We do not offer discounts on various occasions and special days. We provide discounts on surgical fees exclusively in exchange for advertising collaboration. For detailed info about discount possibility, please Contact Us: +90 531 988 30 90, support@wannabetaller.com.

Post-operation period is very important. In all surgery methods, patients perform daily bone lengthening (usually at around the speed of 1mm/day), using the fixator devices on their legs. In external methods (Ilizarov/Holyfix/LON), patients have to change bandages and clean pin sites to avoid infection. Also, physiotherapy and daily exercises are very important for a healthy recovery.

Once a patient’s growth plates have sealed (this usually happens at the age of 16-18), the bones cannot grow anymore (it is biologically impossible), and the only way to grow taller is height increase surgery.

With lengthening surgery, the bone is surgically cut in a controlled manner and it is expected to elongate from day to day and form new bone. Also, the muscles must adapt to new bone development. Therefore, it is useful to prefer foods that feed muscles and bones. Attention should be paid to daily water consumption. Healthy planning with fruit and vegetable-based foods helps in recovery. It is also important to get enough protein.

First Week Nutrition and Diet – Nutritional measures can be taken as a precaution for constipation that may occur due to inactivity. Calcium supplements are generally recommended after the procedure, as it positively helps in new bone growth and it can be taken during the entire recovery period.

Lengthening Nutrition and Diet – During this process, taking care of healthy eating speeds up recovery. It is helpful to note that enough minerals, vitamins, and proteins are taken while creating the nutrition plan; as it is important to consume healthy foods that will speed up the healing process.

Lengthening surgery is restricted for people who smoke. Starting smoking after the procedure negatively affects the healing and delays it. Likewise, alcohol has bad effects in this process, as well; and these indulgences should be restricted until recovery is complete.

Surgery is the beginning of the lengthening process. Lengthening after the procedure requires a certain time, usually 60 to 80 days to achieve 6 to 8 cm. In the meantime, when the necessary exercises are performed and precautions are taken, usually, there are no problems. Height gained does not shorten again after the operation and processes are completed; as the processes permanently lengthen the bones in the area. However, if problems such as osteoporosis occur in older ages in people who undergo surgery, there is a chance that their bones may shorten.

After deciding to have a lengthening surgery, you should be very careful about your choice of doctor and method. You can make the right decision for yourself by examining the doctor, patient’ diaries and method information in detail. You can  contact us by clicking “Contact us” section for detailed information.

There are currently two surgery methods offered at Wannabetaller, and their prices vary accordingly.

• LON (Combined Method) – 21,400$
• Precice 2 – 44,850 $
• Precice Stryde – Not Available

Cosmetic limb lengthening is a procedure in which major bones of legs (either femur or tibia) are surgically cut. Then if a patient chooses a fully external surgery method (e.g Iilizarov or Holyfix), metal fixators are attached to legs. However, if a fully internal surgery method (e.g Precice 2 or Stryde is preferred, only motorized intramedullary nails are inserted in bone canal. There is LON as well which is both external and internal, and the procedures above are performed at the same time. With the help of these devices, the growth of the bones is achieved on a daily basis.

You can gain up to 3 inches with a single bilateral limb lengthening surgery, ... Or be exact:
Femurs (Thighs): 6 - 8 cms
Tibias (Calfs) : 5 - 7 cms

However, you may even opt to have two limb-lengthening surgeries, with a gap of 3/6 months between the two surgeries, and gain up to 6 inches or 12 - 15 cm.

The doctors practice limb lengthening surgery with 4 methods, each varying in costs, post-surgery recovery time, and patient comfort.

Please note that the height gains are similar with all methods, internal, external, and combination methods. The reason is that the height gain is dependant on the flexibility of the patient's leg muscles and nerves.

Anything more than 8 cm on femurs and 7 cm on the Tibias, increases the risk of muscular or nerve damage.

Height is determined by a variety of factors, including genetics, sex, certain medical conditions, nutrition, and exercise. It is a matter of record by everyone. The good news is that growing 2 to 6 inches is possible after the age of 18 if your growth plates are still active. With the great efforts you show, you can achieve your desired height gain. The bad news is that after puberty finishes, you won’t be able to grow much taller. In this case, doing things above will be like flogging a dead horse. Here comes the last question: How can I grow taller if it is not possible to do it naturally? The way to achieve the desired height is through having limb lengthening surgery. Apart from this, there is nothing that can give long-lasting results considering the closed growth plates. Before diving into having such surgery, make sure to do some research in order to comprehend the whole process.

Becoming a young adult does not imply that you can not gain height any longer. We become tall thanks to Height Growth Hormone (HGH). It is naturally formed in our bodies. As we become adults, the body produces a lesser amount of this element. As a result, the process of gaining height becomes slower. One of the biggest features of this hormone is that it causes the liver to create an insulin-like protein that aids in the formation of cartilage cells. This is important for bone and organ development, as well as the production of muscle protein. It indirectly helps us to grow taller.

Lengthening is a surgical procedure that requires either internal or external rods placed inside the limbs which have to be adjusted periodically. Although limb lengthening is very effective it does require extensive recuperation and time. Approximately 1mm of height per day can be added which translates to an inch per month.

On the other hand, you can learn how to increase your height using a combination of proven stretching exercises and nutrition and gain up to three to four inches of true, natural height in just a few months. You’ll save tens of thousands of dollars and be an overall healthier individual.

The most common exercises to become taller are stretching exercises. If you want to make good progress, you should stretch your legs, torso, and pretty much your whole body every day. However, there are more exercises than just stretching that are useful for our purposes such as swimming, sprinting, and biking. Make sure you have a healthy diet that provides your body with all kinds of nutrients. Your body will need it to stay healthy while going through the process. If you can get taller naturally, then limb lengthening surgery can be considered as a permanent option as well.

Among the many ortopedics surgeon in Turkey that does limb lengthening surgery, it is extremely important to have the surgery with an expert. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yunus Öç has a 15 years of limb lengthening surgery experience.