Jeraldo From Brazil: A Journey Of Limb Lengthening In Turkey

Our team was honored to have Jeraldo for his LON limb lengthening surgery here in Istanbul. It was a beginning of another successful leg lengthening procedure, and for him a first step to a taller life. He is also our first limb lengthening patient from Brazil. He had researched options of limb lengthening in Brazil, and many other countries, but he said the opportunities and price-quality relationship for limb lengthening in Turkey, offered by Wannabetaller, was more attractive for him. We are happy and thankful to Jerardo for his permission to share his limb lengthening patient testimonial.

When making the arrangements for his trip, we included a professional translator who spoke Portuguese and Turkish. This was extremely helpful in establishing easy communication between patient, doctor and staff.

For those who haven’t seen Our Services page, we include an extensive, enjoyable guided Istanbul tour in the total package. We are aware that most patients are quite nervous and excited before a serious surgery such as limb lengthening. Visiting a completely new country for the first time can be confusing and it may increase the anxiety. Seeing beautiful sights of Istanbul city, trying local delicacies was a great idea, as it helped us to learn more about the patient, become more familiar with his preferences, concerns and needs, have a good time together, and most important, it set the Jeraldo at ease before proceeding to limb lengthening in Turkey.

After enjoying our time in the city, it was time for seeing the doctor and medical examinations. After talking to his limb lengthening surgeon in person and finalizing the talks about the decision of surgery, and blood tests, x-ray and other medical tests, we were once again sure that Jeraldo is absolutely healthy and eligible for limb lengthening surgery.

The operation was performed successfully without any problems. When the patient woke up, naturally, there was pain. This pain and the swelling of legs that accompanied it, made Jeraldo hesitate when making the first steps on the day after surgery. However, these symptoms are quite typically observed in our limb lengthening patients. It is natural that patients think there is something wrong with their legs. We strongly recommended Jeraldo to force himself to walk every day. It really helps to reduce pain and it becomes easier and easier each passing day. For swelling, it is recommended to put a pillow under feet to keep them at a higher position.

 

After 5 days of staying in the hospital, it was time to go back to Brazil. We took Jeraldo back to the airport and he successfully landed in his homeland. We are keeping contact with him, asking for images/x-rays to see if everything is ok, and giving advice when needed, the same way we do with all our patients.

UPDATE:

Jeraldo has successfully finished his limb lengthening (distraction) process. He stopped after achieving 6 cm height increase on tibia. Now he is waiting for bone consolidation, and is ready for external fixator removal. He still has pain on the right leg, and cannot walk yet due to pain, but left leg is ok. He is getting assistance from a physiotherapist in Brazil. It will take some time for pain to reduce, and with physiotherapy and exercises, it will be easier to walk and return to daily life.

On the x-ray, you can already see the callus forming, which is a good sign, meaning the bones are consolidating sufficiently.

This is how his devices look like:

Please stay tuned, this diary will be updated as our patient goes through his limb lengthening process. We will soon upload limb lengthening before and after images, patient x-rays, and more info…