Posted on Jul 14, 2022, 12:11 am
#1
Hello there,
I haven't seen that many posts from recent patients who have had LL with Dr. DH Lee so I thought I'd share my experience.
Currently lengthening ~3.5cm. Originally from the U.S.
I got my first consultation back in 2021. Was supposed to get Stryde in December but due to it being recalled, my surgery was postponed to May the following year. While waiting for a status update on the recall, I decided to switch to Precice rather than wait for Stryde to come back on the market and I'm glad I made that decision.
Had the surgery about a 1.5 month ago. The surgery went well without any complications. I think I was under for less than 1.5 hour. The nurses came to take me to the surgery room at around noon; they took me to the OR and after meeting with the anesthesiologist, I fell asleep about 15-20 min later and woke up in my room at around 2:30pm. Assuming the pre and post surgery procedures, I'm guesstimating I was under for a very short period. Was worried that I’d wake up nauseous but had no anesthesia-related side effects.
Experience in the hospital post surgery
Dr. Lee requires that his patients stay in the hospital for the first 6 days post-surgery. It is mandatory to hire a helper or have a family member stay with you post surgery (i.e., to monitor you in-between the nurses and doctor’s visits; empty your pee bag during the first 3 days; grab stuff for you since you’ll be bed ridden for 3 days, etc.). I hired a helper. Was bed ridden for the first 2.5 days. On the third day, I started using a wheelchair.
I felt that I received very thorough care from start to finish from the hospital staff. Nurses would come by to take my vitals every several hours; every morning, someone from the rehabilitation center would drop by to give me some type of cryotherapy to help with the swelling and pain; and Dr Lee made the rounds daily towards the end of the day to check on his patients so there was ample time to ask questions. On the second to last day, I started my physical therapy sessions. The hospital assigned me to a physical therapist who has been treating me ever since.
After leaving the hospital, I was scheduled for physical therapy sessions everyday. My physical therapist HY Kim is very skilled, knowledgeable, and kind. He took the time to answer all my questions while working on my legs based on my condition and pain level. I felt like getting physical therapy was psychologically helpful as well.
Pain management
They say pain levels vary by individuals. For me, the pain has been the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. To be more specific, the post-surgery pain was manageable (I actually was able to work full-time while hospitalized. FYI: I have a remote job). However, the pain related to lengthening was excruciating. I was barely about to work 2-3 hours day. I managed the pain with painkillers and regular stretching. Thankfully, I only lengthened about 3.5cm, so the lengthening process lasted a little over a month. I'm currently in consolidation phase but the pain level is still quite high.
Day-to-day post-surgery
My days are usually spent doing rehab at the rehab center and at home. I do about an hour of stretching/strength training in the morning before heading to the hospital where I have my 30 min appointment with my PT and then stay for an additional 2.5 hours so I can take advantage of their facilities. Once I go home, I do an additional 2.5 hours of stretching. So all in all, that's about 5.5-6 hours of PT everyday.
I see Dr. Lee once every two weeks. During the appointment, they take my x-rays, and I sit down with Dr. Lee while he looks over my x-ray scans and answers any questions I may have. So far, he said my bones are coming in nicely so hopefully I'll be able to stand in the next month or so.
Im about 1.5 month post surgery. I know I still have about a month and a half of regular PT left before I can stand and start walking somewhat normally.
Overall, I’m glad I chose to get the procedure done with Dr. Lee. The post-surgery care - specifically the rehab care (physical therapy and hydroptherapy sessions) is top class and I don’t think I would’ve gotten this level of care even back in the U.S. or anywhere else.
One thing that I noticed while watching some of his YouTube videos (the ones on the Korean channel) is that Dr. Lee is genuinely passionate about his work and prioritizes his patients above all else. I don't say this lightly. I'm very skeptical when it comes to doctors/surgeons in general and think most of them are in it primarily for the money, but after my experience over the past 1.5 with Dr. Lee and his staff, I can honestly say that the doctor is driven by his passion to help patients - be it by correcting leg deformities or performing cosmetic lengthening to help patients realize their full height.
I don’t think I’ve met a doctor who cares so much about the well-being of his patients as Dr. Lee.
Will continue to update as I progress. Feel free to ask questions!
I haven't seen that many posts from recent patients who have had LL with Dr. DH Lee so I thought I'd share my experience.
Currently lengthening ~3.5cm. Originally from the U.S.
I got my first consultation back in 2021. Was supposed to get Stryde in December but due to it being recalled, my surgery was postponed to May the following year. While waiting for a status update on the recall, I decided to switch to Precice rather than wait for Stryde to come back on the market and I'm glad I made that decision.
Had the surgery about a 1.5 month ago. The surgery went well without any complications. I think I was under for less than 1.5 hour. The nurses came to take me to the surgery room at around noon; they took me to the OR and after meeting with the anesthesiologist, I fell asleep about 15-20 min later and woke up in my room at around 2:30pm. Assuming the pre and post surgery procedures, I'm guesstimating I was under for a very short period. Was worried that I’d wake up nauseous but had no anesthesia-related side effects.
Experience in the hospital post surgery
Dr. Lee requires that his patients stay in the hospital for the first 6 days post-surgery. It is mandatory to hire a helper or have a family member stay with you post surgery (i.e., to monitor you in-between the nurses and doctor’s visits; empty your pee bag during the first 3 days; grab stuff for you since you’ll be bed ridden for 3 days, etc.). I hired a helper. Was bed ridden for the first 2.5 days. On the third day, I started using a wheelchair.
I felt that I received very thorough care from start to finish from the hospital staff. Nurses would come by to take my vitals every several hours; every morning, someone from the rehabilitation center would drop by to give me some type of cryotherapy to help with the swelling and pain; and Dr Lee made the rounds daily towards the end of the day to check on his patients so there was ample time to ask questions. On the second to last day, I started my physical therapy sessions. The hospital assigned me to a physical therapist who has been treating me ever since.
After leaving the hospital, I was scheduled for physical therapy sessions everyday. My physical therapist HY Kim is very skilled, knowledgeable, and kind. He took the time to answer all my questions while working on my legs based on my condition and pain level. I felt like getting physical therapy was psychologically helpful as well.
Pain management
They say pain levels vary by individuals. For me, the pain has been the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. To be more specific, the post-surgery pain was manageable (I actually was able to work full-time while hospitalized. FYI: I have a remote job). However, the pain related to lengthening was excruciating. I was barely about to work 2-3 hours day. I managed the pain with painkillers and regular stretching. Thankfully, I only lengthened about 3.5cm, so the lengthening process lasted a little over a month. I'm currently in consolidation phase but the pain level is still quite high.
Day-to-day post-surgery
My days are usually spent doing rehab at the rehab center and at home. I do about an hour of stretching/strength training in the morning before heading to the hospital where I have my 30 min appointment with my PT and then stay for an additional 2.5 hours so I can take advantage of their facilities. Once I go home, I do an additional 2.5 hours of stretching. So all in all, that's about 5.5-6 hours of PT everyday.
I see Dr. Lee once every two weeks. During the appointment, they take my x-rays, and I sit down with Dr. Lee while he looks over my x-ray scans and answers any questions I may have. So far, he said my bones are coming in nicely so hopefully I'll be able to stand in the next month or so.
Im about 1.5 month post surgery. I know I still have about a month and a half of regular PT left before I can stand and start walking somewhat normally.
Overall, I’m glad I chose to get the procedure done with Dr. Lee. The post-surgery care - specifically the rehab care (physical therapy and hydroptherapy sessions) is top class and I don’t think I would’ve gotten this level of care even back in the U.S. or anywhere else.
One thing that I noticed while watching some of his YouTube videos (the ones on the Korean channel) is that Dr. Lee is genuinely passionate about his work and prioritizes his patients above all else. I don't say this lightly. I'm very skeptical when it comes to doctors/surgeons in general and think most of them are in it primarily for the money, but after my experience over the past 1.5 with Dr. Lee and his staff, I can honestly say that the doctor is driven by his passion to help patients - be it by correcting leg deformities or performing cosmetic lengthening to help patients realize their full height.
I don’t think I’ve met a doctor who cares so much about the well-being of his patients as Dr. Lee.
Will continue to update as I progress. Feel free to ask questions!