Cosmetic Surgery for Increasing Height Boosts Self-Esteem
Chris Johnson is just 5’7″ tall, but despite being just 2 inches below the average male height in the UK, he felt insecure enough to wear built-up shoes.
Two years ago, he found out a cosmetic surgery procedure that could make his legs longer. It would cost him £34,000, which he saved up for with some help from his parents.
September 2011, he went for the procedure that would make him 2.5 inches taller. Three months later, he was discharged but, unfortunately, will have to rely on crutches until this month ends and won’t be able to walk normally until March. Chris thought it was all worth it since he no longer have to worry about his height.
Dr Jean-Marc Guichet was responsible for his surgery, and it was carried out at his clinic in Marseilles.
Typically, this kind of procedure is performed on individuals whose limbs have uneven length or to correct dwarfism. In the past ten years, the number of people who want the procedure for cosmetic reasons have been growing.
The surgery isn’t just for anyone. It isn’t for anyone with a weak stomach, plus patients must work hard to rebuild their muscle strength in their legs. Because of this, Dr Guichet turns down 70% to 80% of his applicants. He only accommodates those who are really dedicated to have the procedure, apart from requirements of being fit and healthy with strong bones.
The procedure lasts for four to six hours, granting a person a maximum of 6 inches in height (maximum of 4 inches in a single operation). The average added height is 2.5 inches. Most patients who pursue this cosmetic enhancement are in their 20s and 30s, and 33% are women — who usually want it to enter a modelling career.
What the operation does is insert an 11-inch telescopic stainless-steel rod through the bone at the middle of the thigh after being cut and screws are applied to fasten it in place. After, the leg is turned inwards and outwards, producing a clicking sound that happens when the rod gradually elongates.
The leg lengthens by 0.4 inches after the procedure and by doing an exercise of 15 “clicks” forwards and backwards daily, the patient grows 0.4 inches taller every time. In two months of performing the routine, the final growth would’ve amounted to 2.5 inches. The final height usually varies, and how much is added from the original depends on the value that the body can accept.
Recovery can be painful, and the rate at which a person heals depends individually. Most of the pain is derived from the “clicking exercise” as muscles and tendons remodel. A day following surgery, patients begin cycling and stretching exercises. Initially, they walk aided by a frame and switch to crutches in two weeks to a month. Patients who are in top shape begin to walk normally in four months.
It roughly takes eight months for the bone to fill the gap and fuse together. Normal activities can be resumed during this time. After 18 months, the screws are removed in a follow-up operation.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr Brett Rocos warns that this type of surgery would only be meaningful if one leg is shorter than the other, causing some level of disability. Such a major operation comes with great potential for complications. According to Dr Rocos, a new fracture is created in the bone every few days with this surgery, and the risk would be faulty healing. There is a possibility that the bone won’t form completely or heals in an unusual manner that it ends up being deformed. “As a purely cosmetic operation, it’s not worth the risk,” he adds.
Thomas Keeper, a 36-year-old Canadian estate agent, disagrees. He had a height of 5’6″ at first and then went on to have the surgery that made him 4 inches taller. Following the operation, he met his wife, Maggie, through an online dating site. When they met in person, Thomas was already 2 inches taller than her.
“When I told my wife about the operation she said she would never have been interested in a guy shorter than her,” says Thomas.
“Being short is a pain because the world treats you differently. Look at the way people mock Tom Cruise and Nicolas Sarkozy.”
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