Top doctors for purely external Tibia LL

It's Dr Donghoon Lee or Dr Parihar, there's no close 2nd place. This is the only correct answer.

Dr Pili and Giotikas are nowhere near the same level.

That's simple false!...Giotikas has done lots of external frames for all sorts of problems for many years while working for the NHS in the UK. Pilli is also very experienced with frames.

SURE

2018 – Tibias (External)
In 2018 I underwent tibial limb lengthening with an external fixator, achieving around 7 cm.
The process was long and difficult. I wore the external fixator for 10 months. Tension, especially in the Achilles tendon, was very high. I did not undergo Achilles tendon lengthening (ATL), and as a result I walked in equinus for several months, with gradual recovery only shortly before fixator removal.
Rehabilitation was slow: I returned to running about 15 months after surgery.



2025 – Femurs (Precice II)
The second lengthening was performed at the end of 2025, this time on the femurs using Precice II.
I achieved 8 cm in 5 months, during which I used a walker first and then crutches. Compared to the tibias, the course was much easier, with no major complications.
I returned to running about 8 months after surgery.

Conclusion
Tibial lengthening was the most complex and demanding part, while femoral lengthening was far more manageable.
I am very happy with my final height and body proportions. It was a life-changing experience, but not an easy one, especially during tibial lengthening.
Despite the difficulties, I would undergo both procedures again.

Why did the femurs take 5 months for 8 cm?

I've been thinking about going to Dr. Pili, how much did it cost you? The accomodations were included in the price?

Accommodation was not included. I spent less than 19k for the surgery on my tibia, but that was a long time ago, and I believe prices have gone up since then. For the precise femur surgery, I spent 53k. You should manage to get a similar quote.

jeez, I meant do your OWN medical research 🙈  what does tik-tok or diaries prove??

and what about visiting a clinic beforehand?

you seem adamant to put tik-tok ahead of orthopaedic research when breaking your legs - bloody hell 🙈😢🤣

when are you planning to do LL again - 2031??

Its kinda irelevant if a doctor has 100 first authored research papers and 10k citations on Google Scholar. If he cant get perfect femur or tibia alignment, then whats the point, knolwedge is not the bottleneck. All of us future LLers probably already hold more than enough knowledge on the subject. The bottleneck is the “doing” side of things and being able to react to problems when they occur. One could only have this evidence from a diary and concrete xRays

Going to the clinic: i would just hear their side of the story; the one who sells themselves better would win; this is a sales talk; nobody would expose their own bad results; a lot of tik tok diaries expose who the bad doctors are; from the xrays it can be seen which doctors cant deliver

jeez, do you really believe that a doctor puts external Ilizarov frames on a patient - and then does not regularly monitor the patient - do you actually believe this?? 🤦‍♂️🤣

what about the tik-tok diaries that reveal bad doctors??

when are you planning for LL again - 2032??

Will you contribute anything on this forum or just troll all day long? Any evidence that Pili follows up more often than 1 month after lengthening has begun using HEF?

I read Pili’s diaries and he has ok results. The problem I find with Pili is that he barely does any follow up after the surgery from the diaries I read; after installing the external fixator on tibia, he does a 1 month follow-up until the removal of the external fixator; this is a serious surgery; the new regenerate bone can get the wrong shape very fast if not adjusted properly, especially in the lengthening phase. Even Parihar said that “you cant just follow up every month or 6 week with Ilizarov frames”. But other than that there arent any reports of Pili crippling anyone

Hi sylar94

He consistently achieves brilliant results and showcases exceptional skill in his work. If any issues arise, he is more than willing to see you as often as necessary. Pili's impressive outcomes reflect his commitment to efficiency, as he aims to minimize unnecessary procedures for his patients, ultimately saving both time and money. The focus should always be on the results, and it seems he excels in delivering them. If you feel more comfortable with more frequent follow-ups, I believe he would be open to accommodating that request, as it benefits both you and his practice.

Pili is the best! Based on my personal experience and years of researching this topic of limb lengthening.

I would also respond that Europe is definitely a safer place than India, while I'm not sure about Korea.

Could you write a 1 post diary to describe your experience with Dr Pili when you did tibia LL

SURE

2018 – Tibias (External)
In 2018 I underwent tibial limb lengthening with an external fixator, achieving around 7 cm.
The process was long and difficult. I wore the external fixator for 10 months. Tension, especially in the Achilles tendon, was very high. I did not undergo Achilles tendon lengthening (ATL), and as a result I walked in equinus for several months, with gradual recovery only shortly before fixator removal.
Rehabilitation was slow: I returned to running about 15 months after surgery.

2025 – Femurs (Precice II)
The second lengthening was performed at the end of 2025, this time on the femurs using Precice II.
I achieved 8 cm in 5 months, during which I used a walker first and then crutches. Compared to the tibias, the course was much easier, with no major complications.
I returned to running about 8 months after surgery.

Conclusion
Tibial lengthening was the most complex and demanding part, while femoral lengthening was far more manageable.
I am very happy with my final height and body proportions. It was a life-changing experience, but not an easy one, especially during tibial lengthening.
Despite the difficulties, I would undergo both procedures again.

I've been thinking about going to Dr. Pili, how much did it cost you? The accomodations were included in the price?

It's Dr Donghoon Lee or Dr Parihar, there's no close 2nd place. This is the only correct answer.

Dr Pili and Giotikas are nowhere near the same level.

That's simple false!...Giotikas has done lots of external frames for all sorts of problems for many years while working for the NHS in the UK. Pilli is also very experienced with frames.

I've been thinking about going to Dr. Pili, how much did it cost you? The accomodations were included in the price?

Accommodation was not included. I spent less than 19k for the surgery on my tibia, but that was a long time ago, and I believe prices have gone up since then. For the precise femur surgery, I spent 53k. You should manage to get a similar quote.

SURE

2018 – Tibias (External)
In 2018 I underwent tibial limb lengthening with an external fixator, achieving around 7 cm.
The process was long and difficult. I wore the external fixator for 10 months. Tension, especially in the Achilles tendon, was very high. I did not undergo Achilles tendon lengthening (ATL), and as a result I walked in equinus for several months, with gradual recovery only shortly before fixator removal.
Rehabilitation was slow: I returned to running about 15 months after surgery.



2025 – Femurs (Precice II)
The second lengthening was performed at the end of 2025, this time on the femurs using Precice II.
I achieved 8 cm in 5 months, during which I used a walker first and then crutches. Compared to the tibias, the course was much easier, with no major complications.
I returned to running about 8 months after surgery.

Conclusion
Tibial lengthening was the most complex and demanding part, while femoral lengthening was far more manageable.
I am very happy with my final height and body proportions. It was a life-changing experience, but not an easy one, especially during tibial lengthening.
Despite the difficulties, I would undergo both procedures again.

Why did the femurs take 5 months for 8 cm?