Exactly how painful is this procedure?

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Does the amount of pain depend on the individual, the doctor, or the method?

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Quote from: farmerjohn1324 on October 25, 2017, 10:07:37 AMDoes the amount of pain depend on the individual, the doctor, or the method?

All of the above just like any surgery.

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For me there was no pain during my hospital stay as the intravenous pain meds were very effective, but I would say the first 2 weeks after the surgery were the most difficult, mostly due to discomfort and lack of sleep rather than physical pain (which was very manageable mostly through taking prescribed oral oxycodone). After about the 3 week mark I was completely off any pain medications and was using crutches full time and the experience became rather mundane. Again this is probably useless information to you as your experience will change dramatically based on where, who and what procedure you choose to go with. Good luck!

PS: Try not to get too caught up on the pain aspect of the procedure, as if this is something you are serious about the pain is only temporary. Children with leg discrepancies come every few years to lengthen their limbs until adulthood through more surgeries, so if they can do it you can!

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Quote from: Winterishere on October 26, 2017, 07:47:47 AMPS: Try not to get too caught up on the pain aspect of the procedure, as if this is something you are serious about the pain is only temporary. Children with leg discrepancies come every few years to lengthen their limbs until adulthood through more surgeries, so if they can do it you can!

fk, my mind was blown right now. I cringe at the worst aspects post-surgery as a 30 year old men while kids are going through this surgery

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Quote from: lldude on October 26, 2017, 08:31:14 AMfk, my mind was blown right now. I cringe at the worst aspects post-surgery as a 30 year old men while kids are going through this surgery

It makes a difference that most of us are here for cosmetic purposes, breaking perfectly working legs that are subjectively imperfect.

The kids are also encouraged by their parents; it's most likely their idea, they're telling their kids that they have to do it to carry on a normal life.

For us it's a choice. We're choosing to take a risk. We're often paying it ourselves. We also do a lot more homework on the subject beforehand which can scare us.

But I think that's also what makes it so rewarding. It's not something we take for granted, this is why we often say that it's our journey.

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Quote from: Android on October 26, 2017, 04:39:03 PMIt makes a difference that most of us are here for cosmetic purposes, breaking perfectly working legs that are subjectively imperfect.

The kids are also encouraged by their parents; it's most likely their idea, they're telling their kids that they have to do it to carry on a normal life.

For us it's a choice. We're choosing to take a risk. We're often paying it ourselves. We also do a lot more homework on the subject beforehand which can scare us.

But I think that's also what makes it so rewarding. It's not something we take for granted, this is why we often say that it's our journey.

After doing a lot of research, not that big of a risk at all if:
1. you choose a highly respected surgeon
2. you go with external approach instead of internal
3. You don't go over 5 cm per segment

it risky when people have done surgeries with Dr. Sringari, Sarin etc
or when they over lengthen a segment using a intermedullary rod that can cause a lot of complications which I have listed in recent postings.

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Quote from: MirinHeight on October 27, 2017, 01:23:46 AMAfter doing a lot of research, not that big of a risk at all if:
1. you choose a highly respected surgeon
2. you go with external approach instead of internal
3. You don't go over 5 cm per segment

it risky when people have done surgeries with Dr. Sringari, Sarin etc
or when they over lengthen a segment using a intermedullary rod that can cause a lot of complications which I have listed in recent postings.

Hi MirinHeight,
I completely agree that everyone should take the time to acquire the appropriate finances to do this safely, and do their research when it comes to finding a reputable surgeon. I fail to see why an external approach would be more beneficial to an internal one, when to me the benefits to an internal device are far surpassed. I would love to hear your thoughts!
In terms of the length of lengthening it really does come down to the individual, there is no set number. Some people feel no difference after 7cm when it comes to mobility and others feel a huge difference after only 3. It really is a personal thing in everyones experience to know when is the right time to stop which is why I think its important for people not to go into this with a set number in mind. Instead set realistic goals and see how your body adjusts over the experience. Thanks!

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Quote from: MirinHeight on September 24, 2017, 05:59:38 AMI know that amputation is a risk when going under the leg lengthening procedure.
What risks or factors lead to amputation. What is the reason the leg has to be amputated.
I'm sure it has to do with some serious infection.

And if it does, this is another reason in my opinion why external fixation> LON/LATN and precise techniques when it comes to risks.
Highly unlikely that you will develop a serious infection with external fixation (only pin site infections). But when you use intramedullary rods, you can develop some serious infections that can cause loss of limbs whereas the only infections seen with external fixators are pin site infections which are easy to catch and take care of.

Also a lot more unlikely for one to develop fat embolism (even seen with Dr. Paley) when going through with the internal fixation which can lead to coma/death.

I have done a lot of research on this procedure, and nailing of the long bones carries a lot more risk than the "external fixation only" approach did.

Doctors have developed this precise nail and it is a great piece of technology that has the potential for you to gain significant height, but it carries much more risk than external fixation procedures. Furthermore, doctors are getting paid a lot more for using the precise nail, so do not believe everything that they say.


My advice is to do external fixation ONLY on tibias for 5 cm or less (only go up to 5 cm for externals) first,
And if you really still don't like the height you are at, and would like to do the nailing techniques,  knowing there are more and bigger risks, then do up to 5-7 cm via precise on femurs.
But I highly advise against internal-medullary reaming techniques due to the risks it carries

Furthermore Deep vein Thrombosis that leads to pulmonary embolism and can kill you is also a big risk when doing surgery on femurs...


"Deep vein thrombosis (throm-BO-sis), or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together.

Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. They also can occur in other parts of the body.

A blood clot in a deep vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream. The loose clot is called an embolus (EM-bo-lus). It can travel to an artery in the lungs and block blood flow. This condition is called pulmonary embolism (PULL-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm), or PE. (different from fat embolism!)

PE is a very serious condition. It can damage the lungs and other organs in the body and cause death.

Blood clots in the thighs are more likely to break off and cause PE than blood clots in the lower legs or other parts of the body. "

Quote from: MirinHeight on October 18, 2017, 07:20:08 AMif one develops valgus/valus deformity during ll, it can also be fixed with external fixator. These deformities (such as x legs) cannot be fixed via internal methods.

Keeping the complications in mind, external ll is best if you want to do <5cm. If you do 6+ cm, you can do internal method keeping the complications in mind, so that you wont have to wear the external fixator for 1 year+

Quote from: MirinHeight on October 18, 2017, 08:16:55 AMProblems with Traditional Internal Femur Lengthening

Internal femur lengthening devices will by their nature lengthen along the femur's anatomic axis. This can lead to shifts in the mechanical axis towards a valgus (x legs) position. Such shifts in the mechanical axis have been documented by Dr. Paley. Paley demonstrated that in normally aligned limbs, lengthening along the anatomical axis of the femur with internal Precise nails led to a lateral shift of the mechanical axis by 1 mm for each 1 cm of lengthening.

The following diagram from Paley's article demonstrates how this shift happens. Internal lengthening is compared in this picture with external lengthening, which can theoretically maintain the mechanical axis. In practice, however, we know that external monorails for femurs can lead to distortion and misalignments, as the monorail devices and pins can be subject to surgeon error and bending/warping with muscular forces and weight bearing.



Internal lengthening of the femurs is considered an ideal method of leg lengthening for most because it is fast, safe, predictable, and effective. However, this expected shift of the mechanical axis is a concern for many of us, because any degree of varus/valgus can predispose joints to arthritis. If internal femoral lengthening is then to be considered a good method of lengthening, a solution is needed to maintain the mechanical axis in normal alignment.

Quote from: MirinHeight on October 13, 2017, 12:25:57 PMCliff Notes:
I have done my own research on this topic, and made some threads/messages explaining each point I make below:

intramedullary femur lengthening risks:
- fat embolism due to intramedullary reaming
- DVT; femurs having higher risk of developing DVT than tibias
- serious infection that can lead to amputation. Only infections seen in external fixator lengthening are pin-site infections
-The nail can break and fracture the femur as seen in cases here (such as programdude by Dr. Paley)

More advantages of external lengthening:
-adjustments can be made to prevent malunion, x legs, etc
-biomechanics altered a lot more when lengthening femurs

SO YEAH, ILL RATHER WEAR A CAGE FOR 6 MONTHS THAN GO UNDER A MUCH MORE INVASIVE SURGERY. To each their own.

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Not to hijack the thread, but if someone can relate, please speak to this question. Does anyone here have a high tolerance to drugs and have undergone this? I have a high tolerance to most drugs so even when going to the dentist they have to numb me extra, or wait longer periods for it to kick in, for me to have the normal dosage effects.

I'm worried this will translate to me being in a lot of pain after surgery.

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The majority of these complications occur in both techniques, and infections are more common in external devices in almost all studies I have read. Internal devices are universally considered by most surgeons to be safer and more practical. If you personally prefer the external approach that is entirely your opinion and I hope it worked/works out for you!