Hello fellow LL-candidates, LL-ers, and LL-alumni,
Tomorrow, I will undergo surgery for classic Illizarov in Saint Petersburg at MEDEM clinic. My surgeon will be Dr. Solomin, assisted by Dr. Kulesh.
I know it will not be an easy process, but I hope to keep a written account of the experience in its entirety. Please feel free to join in on this adventure with any questions or advice that you may have.
I would like to begin my diary with a quote from Joseph Campbell:
We have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; and where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world.
Warm regards,
Badwolf
Saint Petersburg - External Tibias - Dr. Solomin
Hi Taller,
It's an old username from the first season of the 2005 Dr. Who reboot... which gives you an estimate of how long I've been thinking about undergoing LL;p
Hi Wintersleep,
I hope my experience can be useful to your own journey in some way.
In answer to your questions:
>>1) Why did you choose external only over LON/LATN?
While I don't intend to undergo LON (due to the prices of MEDEM clinic), I am still entertaining the possibility of LATN -- in which case I would undergo the nailing at Saint Elisabeth, as they are less than half the price of MEDEM. There are, however, several factors that may dissuade me:
1. One primary reason for considering nailing in the first place was due to the unpredictability of visa extension in Russia. However, it may be possible for MEDEM to extend my visa for as long as my treatment requires me to stay.
2. The thickness of my tibia will only allow me to place an 8mm rod inside. 8mm is hardly weight-bearing and its instability decreases the benefits of nailing.
3. I have a mild case of genu varum (bow-leg). If this is corrected during lengthening, there is a chance that the rod will not fit inside, due to my tibia no longer being straight.
4. The risk of deep bone infection, permanent knee pain, and the possibility of losing gained height after nailing.
That being said, I am still considering it, but will take my time reaching a decision.
>>2) How easy was it to get a visa? - If you don't mind saying roughly what country you're from that would be cool too.
I am roughly from the east Asians:) As, originally, I planned to go to a different hospital in Russia, I received my visa invitation from them. Unfortunately, by the time the invitation had been sent, severe price changes had been made and they were no longer a very viable option. I still considered them even after arriving in Russia, but ultimately I chose Saint Petersburg.
MEDEM offers visa support (invitation) as well, but plan in advance as these little slits of paper can take up to a couple of months to arrive.
>>3) Have you already decided where you're going to stay after hospital? is it an apartment?
Yes. I have already rented an apartment that's a few minutes walk from both Vreden Institute (from where Dr. Solomin works out of) and Saint Elisabeth hospital. There is an elevator and the room is fully furnished. Dr. Kulesh has, among many other things, helped me find this apartment and rent it.
>>4) What's your goal?
7.5 cm. Unfortunately, the optimal lengthening limit of my current height is 5cm, but I will see how far my body lets me go.
>>Wishing you all the best with your surgery tomorrow and the entire process.
Thanks! Whatever the outcome, I'm sure it'll be an unforgettable adventure;)
I spent most of today at MEDEM taking pre-surgery tests; one thing I can say is that they’re thorough! Preoperative examination, C-Reactive Protein Test, Complete Blood Count Test, Radiography, ultrasonic examination... I know their names because they’ve been considerately written on the bill that accompanies their costs;) This document itself, along with all contractual agreements are written in English, translation costs at around 37 dollars per page. (Totaling in about 262 dollars!) That being said, this is the only slightly outrageous cost and, all in all, things are turning out to be cheaper than I originally expected... for now.
Having visited both Saint Elisabeth and MEDEM, while MEDEM’s prices are a lot higher, it shows in the difference of quality.
However, without going into details, just a quick note concerning the obvious: Make sure you're well aware of what they're charging you for before you make your payment and also be sure to read the fine print of the papers you sign!
The first picture of their lobby is from their website, since I forgot to take one while I was down there – but it really is huge!
My current height is 163 cm. Wingspan is 168 cm.
Just out of surgery! Will update later;)
Hey MDOW!
I remembering following your diary. It was one of the things that made me consider China for the longest time until the prices went up. Good to hear from you!
My surgery was at 1 pm and now it is around 1 am. So far I've experienced close to no pain. The anesthesiologist seemed quite surprised! Once the pain increased (very) slightly, they hooked me up to a iv drip cktail of pain killers, antibiotics, and anti-swelling medication. The temporary effect of the antibiotics was a lot worse than the pain!
It's way too earlier to tell, but the accommodation here has been great. I've undergone surgery once in a fairly developed country, but the service and facilities here have been a lot more professional in general. Time will tell though.
I've yet to hear the details of how successful my surgery was and only caught a glimpse of my frames because right after surgery they bandaged it tight.
My mind is alert and wide-awake right now, but the nurse just came in and said I should sleep.
So, peace out;)
Good morning. All seems well. Sleep is pretty much normal with still hardly any pain. The nurses came a couple of times and offered me painkillers, but I didn't take them. I seem to be getting the random bouts of hiccups though, which is odd;3
Quote from: Morgenst. on September 20, 2015, 07:29:51 AMWhat I'm also 163, did the doc advise you to not go past 5cm? That sounds terrible
They didn't advise me not to go over 5cm, but, according to the ratio of my current tibia length, under 5cm is the optimal length to avoid complications.
Quote from: microman on September 21, 2015, 07:00:18 AMim 164.5 so i sortof know what its like to be 163, but honestly 168cm is pretty normal, if you wear any lift you will be taller than alot of guys in the room so hopefully 5cm will get rid of the worst of your height problem, im assuing you are from a western country or maybe your indian in which case ignore what i said.
but yeah this is where i would have gone if mitkovic wasn't available, the only issue i had with solomin is that he is unknown and i was skeptical of the very cheap price.
if there was 4 more diaries like this and mitkovic wans't available id be very happy to have gone with solomin.
Hi, I'm from a typical Asian country where the average height is around 170cm. With lifts on I was pretty much average height there. Thus, the few friends whom I've told about LL were surprised that I would even consider going through with this.
I was also very cautious about Saint Petersburg, due to the lack of information and visa support. It was really after extensive communication with Dr. Kulesh and the MEDEM clinic that I felt comfortable enough to at least go for a consultation. That being said, I'll refrain from forming my ultimate opinion until after the entire process is finished.
My main reason for not going with Dr. Mitkovic was the limitations that the monorail frames seem to have:
1. Seems best suited for lengthening under 5cm.
2. I have genu varum (bow-leg) and this is best fixed with classic illizarov method.
3. Not related to the frames, but Dr. Mitkovic does not seem to offer nailing at the moment.
Other than that, he seemed like a very viable option and visa issues would've been less of a problem.
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