Have questions you'd like to ask someone who had LL six years ago? Ask them here

One of the reasons is so a fixed internal nail can be put in after distraction, so you're not in fixators for 9 months.  As for people who are doing external only, I think that's a very good question but only Franz on this forum would have the knowledge to answer it.

humm ok thanks MDOW

Hey mdow, while you are in Beijing. Do many ppl getting complication, etc? Is it minor/ major? Please explain, thx.

Some people did get complications.  The most common one was pinsite infections.  Nobody got a serious infection though; they were always minor and treated with antibiotics.  I think it had something to do with poor diet and lack of sleep weakening peoples' immune systems.  I never got an infection.  I was one of the few patients who was able to get enough sleep, and I always forced myself to eat even if I wasn't hungry.  The only other patient I know who never got a pinsite infection also ate and slept well.

The Ilizarov frame is very adjustible so nobody had any severe alignment problems that the doctors couldn't fix.  One guy ended up with one foot pointed slightly inward; that was the worst case I knew of and it wasn't that bad.

Another patient had such poor bone growth that he had to stop lengthening way short of his goal, I think at 4cm because he was in danger of non-union.  That was most likely genetic though.

Two people I met had issues with their internal nail after the operation.  One of them had his problem discovered by the doctors before he left, so they fixed it (but he had to stay longer than he expected).  The other didn't have any problems until going back home, then had to go back to Beijing to have a correction.

Those are all the complications I can remember out of about 30 people, so they did a pretty good job while I was there.

Wow, thanks for your info mdow. 
Im 167cm with 65 kg, 22 yo. How many cm of lengthening so u advise for me?(tibia).

My advice is don't have a plan in the beginning except just to get taller.  Start lengthening and then decide when it's time to stop.  Some people do great and might even regret not doing more.  Some people can't reach their goals because of too much pain/complications and have to stop.  Some people keep going just to get to their goal when they shouldn't, and then they regret it forever.

Ideally, you don't want to be any of those people.

Some people can't reach their goals because of too much pain/complications and have to stop.

Hey mdow, what do you mean by that? Thanks for the reply.

Out of the approximately 30 LL patients I've met, two quit.  One guy had to stop because of poor bone growth.  Another was a wimp who couldn't handle the pain or being away from home, and went crying back home to mommy after less than 2cm.

Hi mdow, thanks for the reply. I want to ask you what is ballerina foot? How it is occur? And how it is treated? Thanks again

Ballerina foot is when your toes point like a ballet dancer because your tendons are shorter than the bone after LL.  Almost everyone gets minor ballerina foot, which is treated by walking and stretching exercises.  Severe ballerina foot is treated with tendon lengthening surgery.