Log in Register
Home Forums Members Calculator Research CME
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided on OrthoLength Pro is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified orthopedic surgeon.
← Back to Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences

Femur LON Lengthening with Dr. Halil Buldu Istanbul Turkey

L
lengthenmemike
Member
Posts: 294
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2020, 5:17 pm
#1
Hello everyone, I’ve followed this forum for a long time and now I think is my chance to give back. I just had LON femur surgery with Dr. Halil Buldu yesterday, I’ll share the details with you in my diary.

Starting height 171cm
Goal: 8cm lengthen on femurs


Day 1
In the hours leading up to the operation I was absolutely terrified, but I went through the motions of preparing for surgery and the next thing I knew I was in my hospital room recovering. After the surgery I was really dizzy and out of it, the pain level wasn’t too much as the Dr. ordered pain medication to be administered through an IV. Honestly Dr. Buldu and his assistant Murat are very nice and they go out of their way to help. Before Turkey I was considering other countries for lengthening but I'm glad I chose Turkey.

Right now is about 24 hours since the surgery, my legs are still hurting but I'm receiving pain medication through the IV. Also, Dr. Buldu and his assistant helped me walk today (only about 10 steps), something I really didn't expect so soon after surgery - surprisingly this was not painful, just uncomfortable and awkward. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I'll gladly answer any questions and keep this diary going, also shout out to Meck who's diary actually inspired me to consider Dr. Buldu - and I'm happy with my choice.
Like (0)
A
a
Member
Posts: 341
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2020, 5:23 pm
#2
Hello,

Are you turkish? and could you please provide pictures for the wannabe LL'ers ?
It'd help a lot.
also my prayers are with you, I wish you a good recovery.

Best Regards
Like (0)
M
more
Member
Posts: 229
Joined: Jun 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2020, 5:25 pm
#3
Quote from: lengthenmemike on July 23, 2020, 05:17:37 PMHello everyone, I’ve followed this forum for a long time and now I think is my chance to give back. I just had LON femur surgery with Dr. Halil Buldu yesterday, I’ll share the details with you in my diary.

Starting height 171cm
Goal: 8cm lengthen on femurs


Day 1
In the hours leading up to the operation I was absolutely terrified, but I went through the motions of preparing for surgery and the next thing I knew I was in my hospital room recovering. After the surgery I was really dizzy and out of it, the pain level wasn’t too much as the Dr. ordered pain medication to be administered through an IV. Honestly Dr. Buldu and his assistant Murat are very nice and they go out of their way to help. Before Turkey I was considering other countries for lengthening but I'm glad I chose Turkey.

Right now is about 24 hours since the surgery, my legs are still hurting but I'm receiving pain medication through the IV. Also, Dr. Buldu and his assistant helped me walk today (only about 10 steps), something I really didn't expect so soon after surgery - surprisingly this was not painful, just uncomfortable and awkward. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I'll gladly answer any questions and keep this diary going, also shout out to Meck who's diary actually inspired me to consider Dr. Buldu - and I'm happy with my choice.

Hello. LON what monorail ?
Like (0)
L
lengthenmemike
Member
Posts: 361
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2020, 6:08 pm
#4
I am from the US, this is my first time in Turkey.

The method is Lengthening Over Nail which means the doctor inserts a nail while an external device stretches the bones apart. At the end of lengthening nail is locked and external device removed.
Like (0)
S
Sky is the Limit
Member
Posts: 386
Joined: Jan 2020
Posted on Jul 23, 2020, 6:41 pm
#5
Quote from: lengthenmemike on July 23, 2020, 06:08:01 PMI am from the US, this is my first time in Turkey.

The method is Lengthening Over Nail which means the doctor inserts a nail while an external device stretches the bones apart. At the end of lengthening nail is locked and external device removed.
Good luck on your journey! I wish you an excellent lengthening. Do you have any pictures of what your legs currently look like with the monorail device and of what your room looks like? It would really help potential patients if you could share that. Please keep us updated!
Regards,
Sky
Like (0)
L
lolwhyamidoingthis
Member
Posts: 211
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 25, 2020, 12:20 pm
#6
LON monorail  Femur LON Lengthening with Dr. Halil Buldu Istanbul Turkey
Like (0)
L
lengthenmemike
Member
Posts: 308
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 25, 2020, 1:00 pm
#7
Today is my third day post op, things are going well and getting better everyday. The first 48 hours are a blur of you not really knowing what's going on, second guessing yourself and coping with the pain this surgery brings. But through all my doubts and worries the doctor and his assistant are very pleasant and I know I'm in good hands.

Also the hospital is very modern and beautiful, the nurses are quick to help with medicine/food etc. I use google translate to talk with most of them but the international patient coordinator at the hospital speaks perfect english and so does Dr. Halil and his assistant Murat.

I walk with the doctor everyday and had a custom made walker brought in (its wider to accomodate the external devices), the walking is slow and its baby steps for now but it's surprisingly not painful to walk, its just awkward. I have much more pain sitting in the bed all day.

On the fifth day after surgery I'll be released from the hospital and will stay in a hotel for a couple weeks or so before returning home to continue distracting there.

Here are some pics I uploaded or the room, food, legs. You can't really see the device because of the bandages but I'll upload more pics later on.

https://imgur.com/a/rYJJbjg
Like (0)
S
Sky is the Limit
Member
Posts: 374
Joined: Jan 2020
Posted on Jul 25, 2020, 2:42 pm
#8
Quote from: lengthenmemike on July 25, 2020, 01:00:38 PMToday is my third day post op, things are going well and getting better everyday. The first 48 hours are a blur of you not really knowing what's going on, second guessing yourself and coping with the pain this surgery brings. But through all my doubts and worries the doctor and his assistant are very pleasant and I know I'm in good hands.

Also the hospital is very modern and beautiful, the nurses are quick to help with medicine/food etc. I use google translate to talk with most of them but the international patient coordinator at the hospital speaks perfect english and so does Dr. Halil and his assistant Murat.

I walk with the doctor everyday and had a custom made walker brought in (its wider to accomodate the external devices), the walking is slow and its baby steps for now but it's surprisingly not painful to walk, its just awkward. I have much more pain sitting in the bed all day.

On the fifth day after surgery I'll be released from the hospital and will stay in a hotel for a couple weeks or so before returning home to continue distracting there.

Here are some pics I uploaded or the room, food, legs. You can't really see the device because of the bandages but I'll upload more pics later on.

https://imgur.com/a/rYJJbjg
I’m glad you’re in no pain at the moment. We appreciate the pictures! The hospital looks cleaner than I thought. When did they tell you will start lengthening?
Like (0)
L
lengthenmemike
Member
Posts: 39
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Jul 26, 2020, 11:08 am
#9
Hey Sky - the lengthening process will begin on the seventh day after the surgery, so next wednesday in my case. The pain is not gone it's still there, but the hospital nurses help control it with the IV painkillers
Like (0)
L
lengthenmemike
Member
Posts: 111
Joined: Jul 2020
Posted on Sep 12, 2020, 6:16 pm
#10
Update: its been a while since I've posted on here but I figured its good to let to forum know how things are progressing.

I've reached 5cm in lengthening, things are getting more manageable than they were a few weeks ago in terms of pain, though I still take acetaminophen twice at night to help me fall and stay asleep. Walking has pretty much stayed stable since I've arrived home; I use crutches to get around and try to get about an hour of walking in per day to help with blood circulation (3 sessions of 20minutes of walking around the house or backyard). My family's been super helpful during this process and it's really good to have a solid support network, LL's no easy journey.

During the day the pain is mostly from muscle aches and some slight nerve pain in my knees, more often than not though if I'm sitting there's usually no pain - but this shouldn't be underestimated because it still definitely hurts at times. I can see how physio is very important now especially at my stage in lengthening when everything is getting more and more tight.

I will say that for those considering LL it is probably if not more than 50% a mental challenge, and the other 50% being a physical/pain challenge, its important to mentally prepare yourself for this journey. It definitely helps to have a good doctor and I have to say I really lucked out having Dr. Halil as my surgeon, and his assistant too, both are really attentive and helpful.

I'm going to turkey soon to get the fixators removed and hope to get back to regular life soon after; after going through this journey i've decided i will be happy with 6.5 or 7cm now and plan to stop lengthening around then.
Like (0)

You must be logged in to post a reply.

Related Topics

Statistics
  • Total Posts 126,744
  • Members 4,124
  • Online Users 44
Upcoming Webinars
Latest Active Topics