Hey guys,
this is just to share my LL experience with dott. M. Catagni (Lecco, Italy). Below some information:
Initial height: 163.5cm
Date of operation: 5th March 2015
Start lenghening at 20th March
Lengthening ratio: 0.75mm/day (I have one ostheotomy in my tibiae and one in my fibulae)
Target lengthening: minimum 6cm, max 7.5 cm
I'm now at 29mm.
Lumiere
If you have any question just ask 
Lumiere
Unhappy: I spent 20k euros for the surgery and three days in hospital
KiloKhan: He's really professional, you can read his cv, he's basically one of the world most experienced doctor with Ilizarov fixation. He's pretty busy quite everytime, I have face to face meeting scheduled every month, and for general question we use email. I have no pain at all, but maybe I'm just lucky and I have an high pain tollerance... Or maybe it's because his know-how with ilizarov fixation.
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Yes it is, compared to other doctors prices...
Lumiere
Dott. M. Catagni is one of the most experienced doctor in the world with external fixation! He basically teached this method to a lot of asian doctors and also to dott. Paley (check it in dott. Paley website )
Here his CV if you are interested: http://www.gvmnet.it/uploads/b4/a4/b4a40da51ffb0f088047e2117ea31c38/catagni.pdf
Going through my experience, I can tell you that Limbs Lenghtening for cosmetical reasons is very challenging and requires a big effort, for the one who decide to undergo through it and for his family/friends, because during the treatment you will be heavily dependent to others. I am very happy that I found funds and working conditions that permit me to go with that, but I would say that for me the height has been a very big deal, and I would recomend it only to people who REALLY is in pain with their height and to who tried to solve his psycological problem with the help of friends, his family and also a prycologist (as I did).
I'm very happy right now in prospective, but I can't wait to get my frames off and come back to my life.
Here is a picture of my legs at +32mm:
and this is an x-ray at +18mm (about 40 days post op and 30 days after the beginning of lengthening):
Lumiere
Here
http://www.bjj.boneandjoint.org.uk/content/87-B/10/1402.long
you can find a very interesting study from Catagni and his team. It is of a few years ago but it's very interesting in my opinion
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Ahah, nice G-Man
crimsontide: Ilizarov fixation of Catagni is an hybrid technique, he uses 3 different types of wire: the "big" one you noticed from the pictures enters into the bone, pass it but don't go through the whole leg (as you can see from the X-Ray), then there are two types of "small" wires, one is a little bigger than the other and his purpose is to mantein the fibula in place, the last one is a wire pulled in tension and that pass through the whole leg. I have no idea of why Catagni developed this technique, probably it's more stable? No idea, I should ask for it... About scars, Catagni assures me that they will be minimal.
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Quote from: just_me on May 02, 2015, 09:28:17 AM1) Is it possible to stay longer than three days at the hospital?
2) Did you stay in a hotel after you left the hospital?
3) Did you fly to Milano and then drove by car/train to get to the hospital in Lecco?
4) Did you transfer your payment for the surgery to the hospital's account or to Dr. Catagni's account?
5) Do you send your x-rays to Dr. Catagni per mail and how often do you do that?
1) The 20k€ price is for three days in hospital, if you would stay more sure you can, but you have to pay for the extra days
2 and 3) I'm italian, and I live not too far from Lecco, about 2 hours driving, so I went there with my family by car, and now I'm lengthening I'm staying at my family's place
4) I paid with checks: one to Catagni and one to the hospital
5) I have monthly scheduled meetings with Catagni at Lecco, at the Mangioni Hospital, there I have the X-Rays done and after that the consultation, in which he checks my legs and the X-Rays
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Hey,
I just had my second consultation with Catagni, everything is going well so far, my bones are a bit disaligned due to the stress because of the bearing but the doctor told me that he will fix it when the lengthening is finished. I'm now at 4.0 cm, Catagni is pushing me to go for 8 cm, but I think I'll be fine with 6.5, 7.0 at maximum.
I have the X-Rays but I'm lazy to upload them right now, maybe next days.
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I'm able to walk since the third day after surgery, with crutches... I tipically go out for dinner once a week, with a cab, but I can walk around downtown pretty easily...
Lumiere
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