LON in Vietnam

Hello all. I arrived in Vietnam about a week ago and have been traveling the country and enjoying the last few days with full use of my legs. I've been here several times and am comfortable with this country. My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday the 28th of November - tomorrow. To be honest, I'm very afraid. I am an athletic person and would like to maintain as much of that as possible. I'm concerned that I'm essentially paying to cripple myself and that my height dysphoria will just be replaced with a funny walk and significanty reduced abilities, which would be even worse. However, I know this height dysphoria is not going to go away anytime soon, if ever. I'm doing quadrilaterals and have essentially until tomorrow to choose between LON and LATN, or even fully external for tibias. I'm thinking about going LATN, because that will give me more time to choose if I want to go fully external for tibia. The knee pain thing is a huge deal to me. However, I would like the frames off by the time fall semester starts in September. I'm okay with a rod in my femur, as it will not be going in through the knee. I realize this is a rambling post, but my surgery is tomorrow, and I have a million questions about the future. No matter what I choose and what happens, tomorrow my life changes permanently. Even if I completely chicken out, it changes. Anyone can feel free to ask me any questions they want. I'm wondering about the nail the doctor uses. It is called the SIGN nail, however I couldn't find out too much information about it except from their own website, and one post about it on this forum. I'm also uncertain as to how much I will lengthen. I realize I should have done this much sooner, but I'm going to measure my bones and everything probably tonight. I might even post pictures of my current proportions. If it doesn't already exist, we should create a post on how to accurately measure proportions and bone length, so that everyone is doing it the same way. I'm currently about 5'8", or 174 cm. I would like to increase by about 6cm per segment. However, I would like to figure out the exact amount to lengthen by so that I keep the exact same ratio between my femur and tibia that I have now. I believe that if I keep the biomechanical ratio the same, relearning how to walk will be less difficult. 6.5 cm is the max I will go on any segment, but I am fairly determined to get to 182 cm or more, or else this journey won't be worth the effort.
Sorry for the rambling post. This is essentially word vomit due to my worries.
TLDR:
Quadrilateral surgery tomorrow, starting with tibia, then femur once tibia lengthening finished.
Havent decided between LATN, LON, or external only for tibia. Femur will likely be LON.
Haven't figured out exact lengthening amount.

Oh hey, I remember you. I finally stopped lurking just so I can add my two cents in this thread.

• Can you tell us more about your chosen clinic and doctor? Not sure if it's the same place as the other diaries, but last I heard Dr. Thuy retired, and the clinic's website has been wiped clean. Is it the same place?
• Did you consult with any other doctors?
• Pricing?
• And if you've talked to past patients, any info about their outcomes is appreciated.

So you’re getting tibia surgery tomorrow and neither you or your doctor have measured your bone lengths yet or decided on which method to use yet?

Is this standard practice in Vietnam?

1: The clinic I've chosen is the one you have listed. I highly doubt these are the only orthopedic surgeons in this very large city, but I think this is the only one that caters to a foreign market in this city. Dr. Thuy has retired and it is now Dr. Quynh. The doctor has moved to a more upscale hospital from the one I visited in June, though the doctor and everything else remains the same.
2: I have consulted with other doctors via email, but had not actually visited them in person. I was going to visit the doctor in Thailand, but two things prevented that: he was busy while I was there, and he was out of my price range anyway IIRC.
3: Pricing is $12,600 per segment. It's pretty much all-inclusive, but figure at least $13k to account for flight, food, hotel, prior to getting the surgery, especially if you want an in-person consultation.
4: The only patient I ever knowingly talked to is the one from the thread that everyone was dubious about. He says that he turned out alright, and I'm inclined to believe him. He was athletic prior to surgery, so I'm guessing that helped his outcome.

Regarding FDR101, I don't know how it is with Paley, et al, and how they do things doesn't affect me, because I can't afford them anyway. While I'm at it, why don't I complain about my Toyota Prius because it can't do things $100k cars can do. The point I'm trying to make is that this is my option. I want the surgery done in a time frame that I can live with, because with graduate school and medical school coming up, I am not getting rich any time soon. The time to act is now, and if the doctor wants to take x-rays the day of the surgery, so be it. Yes, maybe it is a risk, but being looked down upon both physically and metaphorically, is something I don't want in my life any more. I'm not proud of the lack of confidence I feel when females are taller than me. I'm not proud of being uncomfortably conscious of the fact that I'm the shortest among my friend group. Yes, here in Vietnam, I'm a good height. Back in the US, I'm not. And I don't want this height problem undermining my confidence until I'm 50 and I can finally afford someone who does things different. So, is this standard practice in Vietnam? I guess so, but I have months of millimeter by millimeter lengthening for both him and I to figure out what length is ideal. So, whether it happen tomorrow morning, or 5 months ago, it doesn't really matter until those frames are on my legs.

Also, I've decided on LON because that is his standard practice. And if that is the case, then I will go with what he has the absolute most experience with. This doctor is in a legit hospital, and has "normal" patients in addition to the onesies and twosies like me, so I have a feeling he isn't a fly-by-night operation, follows the Hippocratic Oath, and probably cares about the outcome of his patients. I hope. Everything so far suggests that this is the case.

Have they changed the hospital?

Allegedly so. I will find out tomorrow if it is in a different location than the one I visited in June.

12,600$ is a pretty good price and if you want to increase your confidence and are bothered by your height, and accept the possible physical drawbacks, so be it. It's all your choice. I personally don't believe that 174 is a horrible height for the US, albeit not a great one either, but then I'm just a little below that and I'm pretty unhappy in Europe (at some times) so I should not judge.

I hope the surgery will go well and you will have a good lengthening experience. Good luck, man!

goodluck for the operation tomorrow normythebear ,
i ve been thinking to do LL in vietnam too , but still didnt have the time yet

dont forget to post the updates!

Thank you for wishing me well. Whether good or bad, I want my experience to help guide others in the future.

Good luck mate. And I hope you will have a swift LL journey. Please keep posting pics and xrays, we need more true experiences from vietnam. cheers