Fitbone Femur Lengthening in Istanbul - Dr. Muharrem Inan

Edit Post

Quote from: jenslarsen on January 10, 2014, 09:22:15 PMI think 5'8 for a guy is a decent height, but mostly if you live somewhere women are shorter than here.

Jenslarsen, what would you consider to be "tall" and "average" where you live?

ChrisIsaak, congrats on your achievement and hard work up until this point! And thanks for introducing a new doctor and lengthening nail to the forum. Would you say that your hospital could be a viable option for a foreigner? Has Turkey been significantly affected by the instability in neighboring countries? I will be traveling to Turkey this summer for non-LL related reasons, but may consider consulting with your doctor if I have sufficient time.

Edit Post

DAY 7 - END OF WEEK 1 (UPDATES)

- Finally moved into the hotel. I was afraid that the bed would be uncomfortable after the hospital bed which was adjustable for height, incline, and position - boy was I wrong. So please allow me to make a broad generalization. Hotel beds are always comfortable. Something is always comfortable when you pay for it.

- Pain in the right leg is gone. GONE. Sometimes, when I make a wrong move, it comes back, the tingling, mischievous cramp/pain dares to show its face as if playing pick-a-boo, but I control it. I haven't screamed or cursed in the past 2 days. I had to bite the pillow once not to make a sound out of the cramp pain, but the constant nagging pain is gone, which made a HUGE difference - - I can sleep sideways now. And on my face down. It's such an amazing convenience I missed, thank God. LL teaches you to take little things for granted, that's for sure!

- I must say that femur lengthening with an internal device is like driving a Bentley, or Rolls Royce. All you have to do is have some patience. People might feel prejudiced since the device isn't weightbearing, but what does weightbearing mean anyway? Maybe a bit more comfort in making wheelchair transfers, walking with a walker (albeit very slowly), and a good precaution to avoid muscle atrophy. First of all, even if a device is weightbearing, I'd like to argue that you still need someone to help you and always be there for you during LL. This is not an emotional need really, although it has that benefit as well - it's a straightforward physical need for help. Secondly, the first PRECICE wasn't really weightbearing (It wasn't, right? I recall some debate about that.) but with vigorous PT, muscle atrophy can be avoided and the nerves/soft tissue will adapt to the newly lengthened bone. Just my two cents - I have absolutely no concerns regarding this matter.

- Being patient for 3 months isn't an issue, and never will be an issue to a 5'5 (165 cm) guy like me who spent so many years (more than five) waiting to do this. It's like wanting to be an astronaut, wanting to go to space for years, dreaming about it - then suddenly waking up and finding yourself in a spaceship. The painkillers at the hospital made me see the weirdest/funniest dreams of all time. One of the painkillers is called "Contramal Retard" (will be sharing its pic tomorrow) and it turned me into a retard for sure. In a particularly memorable nightmare, I found myself in a stable instead of my hospital room, lying down on haystacks rather than the hospital bed.. I looked around for the nurses, but a truck driver with a mustache was taking care of me.. He sorta looked like Mario actually. I asked for painkillers, but he said *with a Jeff Bridges tone on "True Grit"* "Sorry but I can't healp 'ya son, wanna get yer engine filled?"

- At the moment, I feel like a Hollywood star who just checked into a hotel rather than a LL patient. I had prepared for war, and found myself lost in gluttony. Now if you excuse me I'll shut my trap, since I'm afraid Bigfaker will make a voodoo doll of me and insert a little needle to my right leg when appropriate.

- Hotel photos and X-rays will be uploaded tomorrow (please forgive my lazy ass for not uploading them now, but it's already 2 AM here). If I can manage to do it, I intend to shoot a video of me lengthening with the Fitbone sometime - I hope I can capture the sweet mechanical rotation sound of the nail. Currently, I don't feel anything in my legs while doing the lengthening.  It takes less than 2 minutes. I lengthen three times every day - 8 AM, 4 PM and midnight. 8-hour intervals.

Edit Post

P.S: Dear moderators, why are the photos I upload are always small? Initially I adjusted them for "Forum and message boards" on the image upload site (I used postimage.org), then I readjusted the size for "15-inch monitors", but it made no difference.

How are things for people who log in from their computers? Can you access the larger originals of the photos I share?

I'm terrible with technology   

Edit Post

@ChrisIsaak,  a few of them don't pop up into the larger version.

Edit Post

Quote from: Tall on January 10, 2014, 11:26:18 PMChrisIsaak, congrats on your achievement and hard work up until this point! And thanks for introducing a new doctor and lengthening nail to the forum. Would you say that your hospital could be a viable option for a foreigner? Has Turkey been significantly affected by the instability in neighboring countries? I will be traveling to Turkey this summer for non-LL related reasons, but may consider consulting with your doctor if I have sufficient time.

Great questions, Tall!

My hospital (Istanbul Cerrahi) has many international patients. Most of the ones I've seen here are from Middle-Eastern countries, from Azerbaijan, and so forth. Many Europeans also travel to Turkey to get more basic cosmetic/correctional surgeries (lasik laser eye surgery, for instance). Having relatives received care in European countries and the United States, and having received medical care in the US myself as well, I would categorize these as such.. (My opinions are subjective and by all means please feel free to disagree)

United States (Best in the world, latest medical technology, but terribly expensive)
Europe (I still don't know much about Europe's medical system, however..)
Turkey (My argument is that Turkey is both CHEAPER and BETTER than Europe in medical services)
*Nevertheless, this is a broad generalization.
Other Countries (India and China seem to be cheaper, but I wouldn't prefer to do LL there.. My opinion of India is that they have very good doctors, but the nurses' training isn't on par with them.)

The only problem you would have in Turkey is the language barrier (as in any other country). Which, in that case, I would probably be around to help you out.

I don't find Dr. Inan's internal femur price very competitive (around €50,000-55,000) since it's close to its European counterparts (Guichet, Betz), but for people who know you get what you pay for, perhaps it could be an insight. Especially to some inexperienced friends in here who made heated arguments like "Why didn't you go to Paley or Guichet?!? You idiot?!?" LOL. The answer is simple - because I'm getting the same quality of service here. The same level of safety. Similar facilities. Everything is on par, if not better. I apologize if I sound arrogant, but it's the truth.

I don't understand, for instance, why people think about getting the Salamehfix (which they'll have to keep for months on their legs) for LL rather than get LON on tibias done here for €25,000. Same price. Takes way less time to heal. Similar price to China, way better hygiene. Simple math.

In the world of politics, Turkey is a  hole. It's governed by 5-year olds. The country's dynamics are very different than Europe or the US, we are so used to political turmoil that we don't even care about it anymore. We often joke about people committing suicide in Scandinavian countries because it's too boring. Every week (Sorry, did I say week? I meant day.) we have a new political scandal, a new debate, be it the war in Syria, abortion, or the recent corruption scandal (including gold smuggling to Iran as a means to break the embargo and government officials accepting bribes) that hurt the stock exchange severely in a matter of hours. We Turks say "It's SUCH an entertaining country actually, if only we weren't its citizens!" (Although I'm a US dual citizen - ha!)

The medical world is different. When you're safe in your hospital room with the best trained doctors, nurses, and staff, you don't care about Prime Minister Erdogan babbling something which will surely lower the stock market again. When the room service brings you a $10 pizza worth $50 by taste (following the recent devaluation of the Turkish Lira against the US Dollar) you know that everything will be fine. The TV has international channels. You open up CNN and sit on your back. It suddenly stops being "LL war" and becomes "3 month holiday in lalaland".

Please let me know if you travel here. I'll be traveling to the West Coast (San Fransico, San Diego & Los Angeles) during the summer, probably also to Johannesburg, South Africa, but who knows, perhaps I might be here. I'd love to show you some hospitality! 

Edit Post

Quote from: jerry on January 13, 2014, 01:06:02 AM@ChrisIsaak,  a few of them don't pop up into the larger version.

Jerry - thanks,

I'll try to reply to your PM as soon as possible.

Cheers,
Chris

Edit Post

Quote from: ChrisIsaak on January 13, 2014, 01:34:15 AM

I don't understand, for instance, why people think about getting the Salamehfix (which they'll have to keep for months on their legs) for LL rather than get LON on tibias done here for €25,000. Same price. Takes way less time to heal. Similar price to China, way better hygiene. Simple math.


I think one huge advantage of the Salamehfix is that no nail is inserted compared to LON.
Am I mistaken? Please correct me if I am wrong, I'm not an expert in tibias...
But if it is correct what I have stated I would prefer the Salamehfix because I would be afraid of permanent knee damage by doing LON...
Tibia experts, please correct me!!

Edit Post

You sir as correct, it has no nail inserted and thats why you have to carry the device for around a year most of the time.

Edit Post

are and not "as"...
So another consequence of that may be that the scars are less visible but im still waiting of pictures of those scars.
GoodFootBaller told us he will post pictures of his legs when he comes back.

Edit Post

Weird. You have to carry the frames a year or so but Diso is removing her frames in 2 months or so. You can walk with the Salamehfix, but NOT with the monorails so her callus is poor.
There is an accident waiting to happen.

Anyway, that's her problem.

With a nail inside your bone you will have aches in your knees every morning.