When Will I Recover after Limb Lengthening Surgery

In recent years, limb lengthening surgery has been gaining popularity among patients from both within Turkey and abroad. However, before making this significant decision, having access to accurate and reliable information about the surgery process, risks, recovery time, and returning to daily life can help patients make an informed decision. Comprehensive guides and expert opinions on the surgery play a crucial role in addressing all the questions patients may have. In this article, you can find the most up-to-date and detailed information about all stages of height increase surgery and proceed consciously and safely at every step with our doctor's recommendations.

Recovery Process After Limb Lengthening Surgery

After limb lengthening surgery, our patients stay in the hospital for 5 days to be under direct supervision during the initial recovery phase. During this period, our patients begin physical therapy sessions and dressings starting from the second day. It is crucial that our patients go through this period in the most comfortable and healthy way with the support of our expert health teams. In the first 5 days, the lengthening process does not begin; instead, the main focus is on patient rest, regular dressings, and starting physical therapy sessions. Pain management is provided with necessary treatments and medications to ensure patient comfort.

After the fifth day, our patients are discharged and transferred to the place where they will undergo the lengthening process. The post-hospital period is the most critical phase for patients. During this time, the lengthening process starts, and patients must carefully follow their doctor's instructions. Patients should attend physical therapy sessions five days a week, have regular dressings, and undergo X-rays every 15-20 days to monitor bone healing. Continuous medical supervision and support are provided to ensure our patients' healthy and safe recovery. The lengthening process lasts approximately 2.5-3 months, during which patients must strictly follow the guidance of both the doctor and physical therapy specialists.

Things to Consider During the Lengthening Process

There are a number of factors that patients need to pay attention to during the lengthening process:

• Physical therapy sessions should be taken 5 days a week.
• Patients who have undergone surgery using the LON method need to protect the fixated areas while showering.
• Patients who have undergone surgery using the Precice 2 method should not stand up during the lengthening process.
• Factors that could negatively affect bone healing during the lengthening process should be avoided (e.g., smoking, irregular sleep patterns, poor nutrition, etc.).
• Dressings should be applied to the injured areas every 2 days, and patients should not tamper with the injured area.
• X-rays should be taken every 15-20 days.
• Lengthening of more than 1mm per day should definitely be avoided for muscle and nerve health.

These seven points are the basic factors to consider regarding height increase surgery. Of course, there are other factors to consider in the process, but these criteria are essential for those who are just beginning to research the surgery process.

After The Lengthening Process

The lengthening process is performed at a rate of 1mm per day. Therefore, a 7cm lengthening requires 70 days, and an 8cm lengthening requires 80 days. Patients with a flexible body structure and whose body proportions will not be disrupted can undergo a 9cm lengthening with doctor approval, which takes 90 days. After the lengthening process is completed for our patients who underwent surgery with the LON method, device removal operations are carried out. After this operation, patients rest in the hospital for one day before being discharged. In the 2.5-3 month period following the device removal operation, patients need to walk with crutches. Since full bone healing has not yet occurred, actions such as putting too much weight on the leg, running, and lifting heavy objects are extremely dangerous. After this 3-month period, another X-ray check is conducted to monitor the patient's progress, and if bone healing is adequate, the doctor will approve the start of walking without support. From this point, patients can begin to walk without support but should still avoid lifting heavy objects, running, and standing for long periods. It takes an average of 1-1.5 years for patients to fully return to their former health. Throughout this entire process, we stay in communication with our patients to support them and ensure they go through the process healthily.

Two Years After Surgery

The internal nails placed in patients' legs after height increase surgery are removed for health reasons an average of 1.5-2 years after the surgery. Although these internal nails do not cause any discomfort in daily life, they need to be removed within 2 years based on our doctor's recommendation. Therefore, we stay in communication with our patients to make the necessary arrangements for the internal nail removal surgery.

Height increase surgery is a serious surgical operation that requires a relatively longer recovery period compared to many other types of surgeries. It is extremely important for patients to have detailed information about the process and for their operations to be conducted by an expert healthcare team. In this article, we provided information about the post-surgery process. For more detailed information, you can check out patient interview videos, informational videos, and our doctor's recommendation videos on our YouTube channel. Additionally, you can directly contact our patient representatives for any other questions you may have.