So basically I have found the cheapest way for people living in 1st world countries to get Limb Lengthening done. You could get the surgery done for as little as $10,000 total cost including flights, living, physical therapy, literally everything. How? Keep reading... and no this is not some advertisement for any doctors. This is just a strategy for working the insurance game.
Over View Of Grand Strategy:
Essentially you will be going over to cheap countries to get the first surgery done which is technically the only "elective" surgery throughout the process. The rest of the surgeries are medically necessary, or are preventative in nature, which in the state of Oregon in the United States does covers a lot preventative surgeries. SO when you come back to your home country what you will tell the doctor is that you have had infected pin sites. Insurance will cover the cost of having the metal frames removed because removing them is a "preventative surgery" to avoid the risk of pin site infection. Infections are a BIG deal in the medical industry. When you have frames removed the Ortho surgeon will doing plating, LATN, LON or if you did straight externals, will just have the frames removed for good. The 3rd surgery of having the plates removed or the rod taken out will also be covered by insurance because why? You guess it, it is medically necessary to avoid infection. In New Delhi, India there are a few doctors that will do straight illizarov externals for like $5,000 dollars. Then you fly back to your 1st world country which has a good health care system, and finish your limb lengthening journey there. It gets even better, since I am not working, I qualify for social security disability, as well as a bunch of other public resources, so at least back in your home country you won't be burning through savings. Also, you could even live with your parents to save money, not recommended lol jk
Overview Of Tactical Strategy:
Step 1:
Make contact and reach out to a few orthopedic doctors prior to leaving the country, and unofficially (meaning ask the doctor not to put this conversation on your medical records) explain to him what it is you will be overseas, and your strategy for completion of limb lengthening journey, which I will give you throughout this blog post.
What to tell your home orthopedic doctor: Basically tell him the truth, that you will be going over seas, and you are reaching out to him/her to see whether or not the orthopedic surgeon will take over your case, one doctor turned me down, but that is because I tried lying at first saying it was an accident, and that turned him off, so its best to tell your doctors the truth. They know how to code anything up in order to have it covered by insurance, so they main thing you have to do is just be friendly lol so they will help you.
Side note: If you can get a wheel chair for free, consider bringing a wheel chair with you to the country, you are planning on going to, if you can. This will save you close to $150.00 usd. And every thing adds up.
Step 2:
Fly to prospective country get whatever procedure your heart desires. If money is not an problem then obviously do internals method that doctor Paley recommends. If money is a factor then consider doing straight illizarov externals tibia. Then you can do LATN once in home country, Or if you want to do LON then thats fine too. I did LON, and I think I would of rather have done LATN just because now the nail, inside my leg leg/tibia shaft, is short after lengthening 6.5 cm. My theory is that this is causing me pain but I am unsure because I just got my illizarov external devices taken off on september 1st 2016. I did 6 months in those things, when if I knew what I know now, I would have only done 3 months in them. Some people think that its stupid to leave your Doctor during the lengthening phase; hind sight is always 20/20 but from my perspective it would not of really mattered if I lengthened next to surgeon or with an orthopedic from my home country. My surgeon wasn't much help anyways, he was way to busy, and always having 2 many patients. Plus when I got home I went to Slocum Orthopedic center in Eugene, Oregon, and the facilities are far more advanced than that of India.
Side Note: Reach out to Orthopedic centers that handle a lot of sports medicine like athletes because facilities are generally better with more advanced medical solutions.
Step 3:
If you choose to do lengthening in your home country you will probably want to wait at least a few weeks to heal from surgery before flying (YOU WILL NEED A LETTER FROM YOUR DOCTOR SAYING YOU ARE MEDICALLY CLEARED TO FLY). If you want to lengthen in the country you chose then thats fine to, but you will spend more money on living costs, but if thats not a problem for you then it doesn't really matter. I am just writing this to show you how to save a little bit of money. Lastly, when you are back in the 1st world country see if the doctor will do whats called a stem cell bone marrow injection. These are what they give professional athletes and College athletes to regenerate different tissue cells. In our case its bone marrow. What they do is take bone marrow from my hip, and then mix it with blank stem cells, which turns the stem cells into bone marrow specifically for your body. Insurance will cover it if your doctor says that you have a "delayed union" this is good because these shots are not cheap. It is best to get the bone marrow stem cell shot done at the same time you are getting the second surgery, so that way you don't have to deal with another surgery at a later time.
Any one have questions?
How to get the surgery done the absolute cheapest way, and the most safe.
So how are you now? And also, dont you need to find a surgeon who specializes in LL in your home country?
Dude not really bro this surgery is pretty easy for Orthopedic surgeons. Plus the surgeon in your home country won't really be doing much except steering clear of complications.
Quote from: TIBIKE200 on September 03, 2016, 11:10:31 PMSo how are you now? And also, dont you need to find a surgeon who specializes in LL in your home country?
so how are you now?
I kinda used similar strats like you. Oregon insurance really does cover so many things... even the free one (OHP).
I was very lucky, never had any infection throughout the 15 months with frames on, and I got my frame removed by an OHSU surgeon for free.
Full support on this post.
"Find a surgeon in India for $5,000..."
What kind of advice is this?
*facepalm*
At least he did it regardless of the result and you can just sit here being salty for the next 10 years 
I hope him the best.
Legally cheating my health insurance company is something I would never do 
I'm a poor university student and even I told my 1st-world orthopedist right away that I require his services for cosmetic reasons and that I will pay everything before and after the surgery in India myself. (Finally found someone who is willing to take x-rays of my legs and measure my bones on Monday btw. Yay!)
I'm not saying that you shouldn't walk the grey area, because it seems to be legal, but other people will have to pay your treatment for something that was purely cosmetic through their fees/charges.
I think this is morally questionable.
I am ok. I can't really walk a whole lot, but I just got my frames off 4 days ago. I have a club foot and I am not sure as to why. Maybe some stretching and swelling will make the leg go back but we will see.
Any suggestions or links I should read anyone?
Quote from: SAD on September 04, 2016, 04:36:27 AMso how are you now?
I can see you are trying to occupy the moral high ground, but you are doing so in vain because you are not cheating your health insurance company hahaha by law they have to cover those surgeries if you have a state funded insurance. I told every doctor the truth that I had limb lengthening done in India, and they are still being covered. You can't lie to Ortho's because they already know.
Let me know how your journey goes. Once you go to India and see the level of care that is given, something tells me that if you have an opportunity to make your circumstances better by coming back to the US to have better treatment you will do it. It is really easy to sound and say moral things, until you are in a 3rd country sleeping next to ck roaches, lizards, ants, taking care of yourself everyday, cooking, cleaning, wound care, because none of the helpers speak English, and worrying everyday if you will every walk again. Thoughts of not being able to run, climb, jump starts entering your head. You constantly have 2nd thoughts. Not to mention opiod with drawls where your skin is crawling and you are having cold sweats, and shaking constantly, and you haven't showered in over 5 months, and you have seen anyone in a few days. That feeling of being and feeling absolutely disconnected from humanity, not having anyone around that cares about you.
All I am saying is to keep an open mind. You don't know what you are about to experience once you get to India, so you really don't know what you would and would not do once met with adversity.
A little tip about India:
Everyone tries to deceive and trick foreigners. People are going to try to steal from you, which they will. They will try to deceive you, which they will. It will hurt your feelings, which it did mine. Good luck.
I can help you as much as I can with contacts to help you, and introduce you to trustful doctors. Plus I have girl friend who likes Americans and whom lives in Delhi.... just sayin lol haha
Quote from: Chris on September 04, 2016, 09:59:24 AMLegally cheating my health insurance company is something I would never do
I'm a poor university student and even I told my 1st-world orthopedist right away that I require his services for cosmetic reasons and that I will pay everything before and after the surgery in India myself. (Finally found someone who is willing to take x-rays of my legs and measure my bones on Monday btw. Yay!)
I'm not saying that you shouldn't walk the grey area, because it seems to be legal, but other people will have to pay your treatment for something that was purely cosmetic through their fees/charges.
I think this is morally questionable.
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