11cm on femurs internal Bliskunov with Drs Dragan and Jamal in Kiev in 2004

Hey everyone, just joined. Being above a certain height is every ambition person's dream. I won't go into the merits of stature, but I was 171cm (around 5 ft 7) at the age of 29. For a lot of people, that was good height, but I wasn't content.  Obviously at that age, your growth plates are locked and growing naturally isn't really possible, no matter which exercises you do.  I tried everything from inversion (hanging upside down) to all the stretches you can do, to no avail.
The internet wasn't as developed as it is today, but I was fortunate enough to learn about Professor Bliskunov's internal rod method. The Ilizarov external devices, requiring extended hospitalisation/bed stay and horrendous scarring, never appealed to me. So after some further research, I opted for surgery in Kiev, Ukraine. The year was 2004. I achieved 11cm in around 4.5 months and now stand at 182cm or around 6ft. Nobody has ever told me I looked disproportional.
One of the best things I ever did. Suffices to say I am delighted with my height and have been for many years, I am so thankful to the doctors here, I have so much more confidence and I am more at ease with myself. I can run, jump and do all the activities I did previously. Fast forward 14 years and I am back in this beautiful city with a view to staying here long term.  If anyone here is considering the surgical route, I am more than happy to meet you, offer advice, mentoring etc. Having someone who's been there and done it is a great advantage to have. This is unlike any other surgery. The doctor will operate on you and break your bones, but healing and growing is up to you. As reported elsewhere, there are four phases to LL: Preparation, Surgery, Lengthening and Strengthening. I've seen some patients/rich kids who have skipped the first part to their detriment. You have to be mentally, physically, psychologically and to an extent financially ready.  LL is expensive surgery and with so many doctors and clinics touting for your business nowadays, it is important to be armed with as much information as possible in order to make the right decision for oneself.
Feel free to contact me.

Oh and by the way, I just read Rocky's post. I was his visitor   To correct him, my surgery was in 2004, rods were taken out in 2006.

A pic speaks a thousand words as they say. For those interested, I can talk about life post LL, has it been worth it etc.

Did you do IT band release? What are its complications  if any did you face (both cases if you did or if you didn't)?

Internal femurs would cause a loss of rich bone marrow. How does body cope up with the loss? Did you face lower blood count or lack of HGB in blood count leading to feeling of weakness prior to removal of rods?

After the rods were removed, did you get your x-rays, are you bones fully consolidated, has the bone marrow regenerated fully in your bones?

You seem to have a a long post op experience, can you comment on whether there is any negative impact healthwise in long term due to LL?

Have you gained your 100% if no, what is  lost due to LL flexiblity, athleticism, pain, arthritis?

Sorry what's IT band release?
Thankfully I had little complications. I think the doctor gave me some additional supplements to increase red blood cell count for a while, but other than that, I just followed a healthy diet. Lots of dairy, fresh fruits, meat and veg etc.
Of course the bones were fully consolidated before rods were taken out. Or do you think they would remove them otherwise?
Only negatives are slight loss of flexibilty, but that can be attained with regular stretching. Sitting down on the floor in certain positions for extended periods can cause discomfort. Lengthening just one part of the body will render you out of proportion no matter which way you look at it, but the benefits for me far outweigh any negs. I'd do it again.

congratulations. Your proportions look fine, I couldnt notice which segment you lengthened till I reread the title. How did you deal with the pain? Im guessing you were very much in shape. Im happy for you. Im only 164 and want to lengthen 20cm total but, man, it sounds painful. what did your tendons feel like when you hit 7-9 cm?

Thanks pal.  Of course there is some degree of pain, but everyone has a different pain threshold. I was always thinking of the end result and how happy I'd be to reach my goal, so perhaps I didn't feel it so much. You get given painkillers and it's not unbearable pain. Right after surgery maybe, but once you settle in and start lengthening, it's ok.   Yeh, I've always kept in good shape thankfully, ate healthy etc, that helped too I guess. 

Thanks for the reply and congratulations too!
It band is required in cases of femur lengthening, just like Achilles tendon lengthening for tibia.
So as a successful LLer with 14 year of post op experience, you mean to say there are very few or almost negligible impacts of LL on long term health and flexibility? Can say surgery is a win-win situation for any person to undertake? Please confirm.

Quote from: totallyred on July 08, 2018, 09:30:07 PMThanks for the reply and congratulations too!
It band is required in cases of femur lengthening, just like Achilles tendon lengthening for tibia.
So as a successful LLer with 14 year of post op experience, you mean to say there are very few or almost negligible impacts of LL on long term health and flexibility? Can say surgery is a win-win situation for any person to undertake? Please confirm.

Great question just commenting here so I can get a notification from the response

If I didn't know what It was, I'm sure I didn't need it.  You don't mean like a graft do you, in case of non-union? If so, I didn't need that either, thank God.

I believe Dr Jamal's method has advanced some more since I did mine. He now gives you stem cell injections for faster recovery and bone regen.

In regards to your question about life post LL, absofeckinglutely it has been worth it!  Very few negs and positives far far outweigh such. Like I said in my opening post, I am very grateful to Dr Jamal and the medical team here in Kiev.

But if you think I am living happily ever after, you'd be wrong too.  Of course I achieved a lifetime goal and for that I am very happy, but life has many challenges and human nature is such that we return to our normal states once the jubilation of something is over. Chances are if you are an unhappy person prior to LL, you might continue to be so, but only taller. I have a balanced view so I'd say I am definitely happier and more at ease.