I'm new here and before anyone tells me to stop posting and do my research, I already did and everyone had different recovery periods.
First off I'm in my early 20's and extremely fit. I plan on doing quadrilateral lengthening (external femurs and tibias, First surgery one femur and opposite tibia and second surgery vice versa) I spoke to Dr. Solomin about this and also with Dr. Kulesh. We both agreed that 12cm was okay and there has also been a patient here on the forum who did more.
I am curious as to how long my recovery will take? I have approx 1 year.
Now, I'm not expecting to start jogging and running like an athlete or anything like having a completely normal gait but would I be able to recover to the point where I am able to walk with crutches and do a simple task like drive an automatic car?
Ps. I am fully aware of the risks involved and understand that many do not favour externals but I do not pick money from trees and I am working in my budget 
Hey Hamilton. How long it takes depends on a few things, mainly method and distraction rate.
Distraction rate varies person to person, and also differs depending on tibia or femur; tibia generally going a bit slower at 0.75 mm per day vs 1 mm on femur. If you're doing 5 cm tibias and 7 cm femurs, it'll take 66 and 70 days per segment respectively.
Your second surgery will commence after consolidation and restoring your gait (manner in which you walk). Externals-only means it'll take another 60 days until consolidation, and you'll be wearing those frames the entire duration. LON and LATN patients will have their frames removed after distraction, and consolidation should take roughly 1/3 of distraction phase. So if you lengthened for 70 days that's ~23 days of consolidation, add a month for weight bearing and restoring gait, and you're back to do your second set of segments.
Assuming that you're doing LON and everything goes smoothly and you keep up with your physiotherapy, it's roughly 8-9 months. You'll regain muscle strength and range of motion in 1-3 months. Return to sports in 4-6 months after the last surgery.
Would you reckon I could walk with the aid of crutches within a year?
Judging by what you said I could be walking normally under 2 years.
Thanks for the reply
Oh and, do you have a surgery coming up soon? Or already completed?
You should be walking unaided in under a year. It'll take longer for you to regain stamina, but walking unaided shouldn't be a problem.
My plan is summer 2018 as well, still talking with and deciding on doctors.
Thats good to hear man, I'll keep you updated on my LL too.
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