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Author Topic: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.  (Read 1912 times)

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Chuckd633

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LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« on: April 30, 2019, 10:10:31 PM »

Hi Guys, my name is Chuck D for this purpose of this site.

I am a patient at Limbplastx and had it done at the beginning of 2019.   I chose Limbplastx for many reasons but some of the reasons are that they are very responsive to my requests, be it rx’s for wheelchairs etc, preauthorizations.  I have been researching this surgery for many years, and essentially gave up on it.  But after reading about Dr. D’s reputation, his infallible education, and the fact that he is very approachable, it was a no brainer.  You know mechanics know the best mechanics and physicians know the best physicians.   It was definitely worth the trip to Las Vegas, i mean come on, Las Vegas, can you do better for accomodations, food?  I started at 5”5, my goal is 6 feet, not sure if i can make it safely, but i trust Dr. D with my life and would follow any reccomendations he would give me.  Right now now i am on combination narcs and muscle relaxers.  Even with all that i knew, i still spoke with one of his patients who was similar in race and wt to me.   He gave him glowing reviews.  He is playing basketball 85% back to baseline on 12/17, and his surgery was the beginning of the September, in-fking credible!

Below is kind of day by day. 


Days

0   Days minus surgery, you should prepare with calcium, vit d, synergy, nl working out, if you have to pick b/w yoga and working out, i recommend yoga

Get rolling walker (most important)
Get cane
Get wheelchair.... all on amazon, and reasonable
Try to get pain meds BEFORE surgery, because if you don’t and its the weekend, you might be fked for pain control, luckily i had that preplanned
1   Take you to suite, very nice, take your name and put you into a holding area that is private, nurse comes in and gets your history and get you an iv
   Anesthesia assesses your airway, and whether you smoke or not
Limbplastx doc takes care of everything.... i didn’t like the foley, but who does?  Dr. D was a gentleman, always pushed to keep moving and never was in a hurry, answered every question i had
   Go to sleep, and wake up and its over....worst pain for me was the foley to be honest, not the rods of metal in my femurs ☺
2   POD (post op day) and right after surgery, you can try oral narcs, i would just use iv narcs, which ever works
3   I didn’t go to the bathroom at all at hospital, big mistake, take relistor, something to get you going
4   2 days in hospital and you go home, don’t use make a mistake like me and use an suv, that   was real painful to get into
5   I think 1-2 weeks bedrest, 2 weeks rolling walker, and attempt cane or crutches
   Be careful when you drive the pain meds creep up and you don’t know it
Day 5 + 2 weeks so pod 17   You are now actually talking w. Family rather than getting up to eat and then going back to bed
18   Cane works ok, but you will still need narcs for bone pain.....in my case, and i  am still not at consolidation phase yet, i think you need narcs for bone pain, and during stretch 3 x / day (0.33mm each leg x 3)
19    Prolly the worst part of my process was having nl bm’s.... relistor is super expensive, but a bowel perforation cause you’re full of   is a lot or expensive, manually disimpacting myself was the lowpoint of the whole experience, movantik (expensive) but works, is what worked for me....find out what works for you and do it quick
Pod 19+  7 weeks   Pretty standard, narcs when you need, sometimes lengthen can hurt, sometimes, nothing at all... around 55 mm, go to pt, some exercises suck, some are good, all pt is necessary

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wannagrowtaller

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2019, 10:17:28 PM »

How much will you lengthen in each segment to go from 5'5" to 6'?
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Movie

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2019, 10:30:49 PM »

interesting, if you can post pics that'd be great, Xrays, maybe the facility?
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Starting height: 167cm Now 175cm With Strydes Femurs with Dr. Mahboubian 09/01/2019
Nails removed 10/06/2021
My Video Logged Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=64224.0

InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2019, 10:37:33 PM »


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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2019, 10:55:13 PM »

What PT exercises did they have you do?
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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

Bonez

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2019, 02:31:34 AM »

Preauthorization as in for insurance?
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verticalpush

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2019, 03:42:48 AM »

Hi Chuck, as you might know you are the first diary on this site by one of Dr. D.'s patients. I'm going under the knife with him in 3 weeks, so I would love knowing more details of your experience and what to expect. This is actually very reassuring to see something here from a patient of his! I second the requests on this thread. Xrays, pictures of the facility, or really anything you're comfortable sharing would be very helpful to us.

Your plan to lengthen 7 inches seems like quite the ambitious goal - I'm guessing you are doing cross lengthening on both femurs and tibs? On my consult with him he did mention the 3.15 inch/8cm limit, so I'm quite curious about your plan to get 7 inches (assuming I read that right that you started at 5'5").
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jaybam

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2019, 04:49:42 AM »

Hey Chuck!

I'm going to be doing the surgery on 6/14. I spoke with the same patient as you did. Are you a physician? Dr D spoke about a physician doing the surgery.

Bit nervous about the pain and catheter lol. How's your walk going? Any additional tips?
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Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2019, 07:22:29 PM »

80mm, then hopefully on femurs, then maybe 50 mm on tibs maybe more? does that equal 6 inches? :P
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Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2019, 07:24:22 PM »

baby squats, leg curls, stationary bike, can remember all of them
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Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2019, 07:26:19 PM »

no its all cosmetic homes.... i wish for insurance, just make sure you have pain meds and constipation meds in your hand before you leave hospital.... i wouldn't want even my greatest enemy to be in that much constipation, sorry maybe tmi
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Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2019, 07:28:19 PM »

ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, THAT DR D WON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID.... I HAVE TO HAVE CONSOLIDATION, GOOD GAIT, AND BE JOGGING BEFORE HE EVEN USES ONE BRAIN CELL TO DO TIBIAS.
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InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2019, 07:30:17 PM »

Are you walking already? or what is your status for walking?
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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2019, 07:30:47 PM »

will have to work on that one.
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InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2019, 07:32:25 PM »

What assistive device are you currently using to walk and how much have you lengthened so far?
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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2019, 07:34:03 PM »

just hoping i guess, no guarantees, in all reality it might be 5'9, 5'10, and dr d won't even let me do tibs, until i consolidate and running like 50 miles a day (joking)
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Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2019, 07:35:16 PM »

sunrise
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InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2019, 07:36:08 PM »

Thank you for answering all these questions.  What pain medication do they have you on?
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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

Chuckd633

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2019, 07:38:04 PM »

hated the cathether, but i am a wimp.

maybe get your bowel regimen going quick.

get picked in a flat low car, not a high up suv.
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InFullStryde

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2019, 07:40:45 PM »

What kind of car did you get picked up in?
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"Make the BEST of what you have and Make what you have, the BEST"
InFullSTRYDE with Dr. Mahboubian - Jan 2019
Start Height/End Height: 5'1.25"/5'4.25"
Status: Gained 3" and Recovered Successfully! | Stryde Nails Removed: November 2020
Diary: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=9671

StrangeDays67

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #20 on: May 02, 2019, 04:48:26 PM »

I can't imagine that you'll look proportional at all going from 5'5 to 6'. Why not go to 5'9 instead?
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ActionSpeaks

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2019, 05:22:37 AM »

I am really glad that there is more information on this forum plus pending diaries with Dr. D! His 'base' price for STRYDE~femurs at $75k sounds great although it seems that the additional surgical procedures such as I/Band release etc in reality up this price by another $10k. Did you have any of these additional surgical procedures?
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DreamerLL

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #22 on: July 01, 2020, 11:19:37 PM »

I am really glad that there is more information on this forum plus pending diaries with Dr. D! His 'base' price for STRYDE~femurs at $75k sounds great although it seems that the additional surgical procedures such as I/Band release etc in reality up this price by another $10k. Did you have any of these additional surgical procedures?

If you don't mind may I ask everyone who would like to get 3inches have to do I/Band release ? or It just depend on each person's physical condition .
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Michael J. Assayag, MD

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Re: LIMBPLASTX DR. D, GREAT GUY, ANSWERS ALL QUESTIONS.
« Reply #23 on: July 01, 2020, 11:47:44 PM »

If you don't mind may I ask everyone who would like to get 3inches have to do I/Band release ? or It just depend on each person's physical condition .

for 3 inches you need It band release at all cost. Failure to do so will create terrible abduction and hip contracture, knee flexion contracture, and risk of rotator knee subluxation.

Dr. Michael J. Assayag, MD. FRCSC
Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Surgeon
International Center for Limb Lengthening of Baltimore
http://www.heightrx.com
https://www.limblength.org/conditions/short-stature/
massayag@lifebridgehealth.org
@bonelengthening on Instagram
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Dr. Michael J Assayag MD FRCSC
Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Surgeon
http://www.heightrx.com https://www.limblength.org/conditions/short-stature
massayag@lifebridgehealth.org
IG @bonelengthening
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