Kevin Debisparshad, a Las Vegas-based cosmetic surgeon who founded the LimplastX Institute in 2016, told GQ in an interview that many of his patients are in the tech industry, such as software developers from Google Microsoft, Amazon, and Met. He specializes in limb lengthening procedures and his customers are willing to pay $75,000 to be taller.
The limb lengthening surgery has become popular in recent years as a growing number of men are undergoing this radical and expensive surgery to grow three to six inches. The catch to this procedure though is that it requires having both femurs broken.
How Does Limb Lengthening Work?
Dr. Debisparshad said in the interview that he had to break the femurs or thigh bones of his patients during the limb lengthening surgery. Then, he would insert metal nails into them that are adjusted every day for three months using a magnetic remote control.
According to Mount Sinai, the surgery is done under general anesthesia, allowing patients to sleep and have pain-free surgery. The pins or screws are placed through the skin just above and below the cut in the bone.
Then a metal device is attached that will very slowly pull the cut bone apart to widen the space between the ends of the cut bone, which will be filled in with new bone. Upon reaching the desired length and when it has healed, the patient undergoes another surgery to remove the pins.
Yahoo! reported that it would take months to slowly lengthen the bones and for the legs to heal. A software engineer who also had the surgery told GQ that it took him three months to go from 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9. The surgery could cost between $70,000 and $150,000 depending on whether the patient wants to grow 3, 4, 5, or 6 inches.
Despite having a rich clientele, Dr. Debisparshad said he does not recommend limb lengthening to athletes because it could decrease their ability. More so, many of his patients said they did not tell anyone they had the procedure done most likely due to the stigma surgery plastic surgery for men.
Despite that, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery said that the number of men undergoing plastic surgery went up 325% from 1997 to 2015.
Why Do People Undergo Limb Lengthening Procedure?
Mount Sinai said that limb lengthening is done if there is a large difference in leg length, specifically at least 2 inches ( 5 cm) difference. The procedure is most likely recommended in children whose bones are still growing, people with short stature, children with abnormalities in their growth plate, and people that have trauma that resulted in a shortened limb.
Certain health conditions could lead to unequal leg lengths, including poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, small or weak muscles, hip diseases, previous injuries, and birth defects.
Risks and Safety of Limb Lengthening Procedure
Given how invasive the procedure of limb lengthening is, Healthline said that there could be risks and side effects of this procedure. Side effects could include allergic reactions to anesthesia, bleeding, and infections in the pin sites.
A 2020 study reports that limb lengthening procedures and outcomes have some type of complication, although the majority will not experience any major complications. Also, there is a risk that the surgery will be ineffective and that patients might heal in a way where the bones are straight.
Other risks of the procedure also include bone growth restriction that may lead to short height, bone infection, injury to blood vessels, poor bone healing, and nerve damage. Generally, the procedure can be done safely and effectively in children and adults, especially those between their 20s to even their 60s.
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