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[MOOZE]

Hello fellow forum users, i've been checking out posts and info here for a year now, and since this forum has given me so much helpful info i'd thought i'd contribute.

I'll start with a bit of info on myself and then add to this on a regular basis as i get closer to D-Day!
I'm not normally very good at emailing or typing, but since i'll be working remotely for 3 months then keeping this diary going beforehand will be a good way to practice 

Right, a little about me:
I'm a 35 year old male, in good physical health weighing 79kg and i'm just over 172 cm in bare feet, so just under 5'8.
I've done a lot of research and since i've worked hard and been reasonably successful in my career i have the benefit of being able to choose the surgeon i'd most like to use in the world without cost being so much of a factor.
I'll be travelling from Australia, and have decided that Dr Donghoon Lee in Seoul is the best option for me.

There are a few reasons i've chosen Dr Lee, my main reasons being i can easily catch a direct flight to Seoul from Australia and also the fact that he trained with Dr Paley ( who would have been my second choice ) and that he operates from a state of the art hospital with the latest equipment in case of any complications.
He's also young, motivated, seems to have a good bedside manner and is up to date with all the latest information on cosmetic leg lengthening surgery.
I'll be doing my thighs ( i prefer that word to femurs ) and using Precice 2.
There may be a new nail with more weight bearing capacity by the time i go under the knife, but if not then i'm happy to settle for whatever is the latest version available.
The reason i've chosen thighs over shins is faster healing time, only 1 bone to break and since i have quite muscular thighs from years of weight training there should be good blood flow to help with fast bone growth and post op healing.

I'm a fast healer, and although i've read countless documents on this surgery i'm well aware of the risks, and happy to proceed with a surgery that i think should be fairly straightforward as long as i'm diligent with all the post op physio, stretching and massage etc.
I'm not that flexible, so that may or may not be a slight issue, but i'm sure Dr Lee will do a band release if needed, and at 35 i'm not likely to be engaging in any sports again which would need me to be functioning at the same sort of level i was when i was 18.

I'm aiming to have my operation around the start of June this year ( the middle of winter in Australia ) and i'd expect to be back on my feet and walking un-aided and fairly normally around 4-6 months post surgery by Christmas.

I'm not a greedy person by nature and i'm not interested in becoming a human version of Inspector Gadget, so if i can add 5cm i'll be happy.
If i get to 5cm and things still look ok then i might go for an extra .5cm but no more than that.

I have a pretty good pain tolerance ( although i haven't been married or had kids yet, so maybe i'm yet to be tested ) so i'm also hoping to be able to avoid having to take tons of painkillers post op and thus speed up my recovery further.

I'm a pretty optimistic person, so if i sound like i'm making light of this whole thing then trust me i'm not, that's just how i look at life.
And my reason for wanting the surgery, well it's simple really, i just wouldn't mind being a little bit taller - just like the Skee-Lo song 

Anyway that's my introduction, i'm happy to meet you all, and i look forward to filling in more details as i get closer to heading over and then following my surgery to keep you all informed.

I'm sure this forum has helped a lot of people, so if i can do my bit then it only seems fair after all the helpful insights and info i've gained here.

Any questions feel free to ask, and as long as they're positive then i'll try to answer them all.

Mooze 

[zantac20]

good luck sir

[onemorefoot]

Go for it

[cobalt]

Good luck with your upcoming surgery. You did your research and you seem well prepared for it. 5 cm is very reasonable. Keep us updated.

[Eyeswideshut]

Hi Mooze,

First of all, thank you for planning to share your experience with us.

I have some questions for you. Since at the moment I don't have enough money to afford this surgery, I guess I'll have to wait at least 2-3 years, so 'I'll be almost 30.

Being 35, do you think this surgery is still worth it at your age?
If I may ask, what are your main reasons for doing it? Women? Fitting in among peers?

Thanks in advance, and good luck with your adventure.

[MOOZE]

Thanks, will do

( A reply to Cobalt's post ), i've figured out how to use the quote feature to reply properly now ( Forgive my computer novice skills  )

[MOOZE]

Hi Mooze,

First of all, thank you for planning to share your experience with us.

I have some questions for you. Since at the moment I don't have enough money to afford this surgery, I guess I'll have to wait at least 2-3 years, so 'I'll be almost 30.

Being 35, do you think this surgery is still worth it at your age?
If I may ask, what are your main reasons for doing it? Women? Fitting in among peers?

Thanks in advance, and good luck with your adventure.

Thanks for the questions. To be honest my life is really good, and the funny thing is that i'd never even really ever noticed my height or thought of myself as short until a couple of years ago.
I've never had a lot of trouble with women, social interaction or getting ahead in life or my career so i'm not getting the surgery done for any of those reasons.
I just think that being a couple of inches taller will improve my general outlook. Since everything else in my life is already pretty good it can't hurt to keep on working on improving the things that i can control if the opportunity is there.
At 35 i still feel pretty young and i'm a believer in there's no time like the present, so let's say i get to live until 70+ then that's a still a lot of life left to live

[helloworld]

Hi Mooze,

First of all, thank you for planning to share your experience with us.

I have some questions for you. Since at the moment I don't have enough money to afford this surgery, I guess I'll have to wait at least 2-3 years, so 'I'll be almost 30.

Being 35, do you think this surgery is still worth it at your age?
If I may ask, what are your main reasons for doing it? Women? Fitting in among peers?

Thanks in advance, and good luck with your adventure.

35 : almost same age as me.
I met a patient last week who is 65!
However, most patients I met are between 27 and 37.

[asfastaslight]

172 in a country where average is 175?  why LL?

[paco1]

I think doctor lee is a very good obtions if you have the money.
I think you can do 6cm without problems in your thights.

[MOOZE]

172 in a country where average is 175?  why LL?

Thanks for the question. It's more of a case of personal perception, so averages don't really matter much. I'd imagine it's a similar reason why some people who are already average height or above also opt for the surgery, to improve their general outlook whatever their starting height

[hyzlt7980]

how much does it cost in seoul? thank u

[MOOZE]

Update: I have my surgery booked for 2 months time and I'll fly into Seoul 3 days before for pre op tests and X-rays etc.
I have to say I'm impressed so far with the communication from Dr Lee's team, they have answered every question I have quickly and clearly.
I'm still deciding wether to rent a hotel or a serviced apartment for my stay but will decide when I get there.
I'll be travelling solo, so if I need help then I'll just hire a live in maid or use Tinder.
I'm looking at a total cost of around 100-110k US if I choose some decent accommodation, so it's not the cheapest option, but at my age I've learned that most of the time in life you get what you pay for, and I'm confident that although Dr Lee doesn't have the same profile as Dr Paley or Rozbruch I think his skill level and attention and commitment to patient recovery will be right up there.
He has performed or been involved with 3000 lengthening / bone correction surgeries using external fixators and has performed around 130 surgeries using Precise nails.
Severance is equipt with the latest X-Ray and surgical equipment and there is no mucking around in Korean operating theatres, the competition in universities to become a surgeon is huge so only the very best make it through the system.

MOOZE 🎱

[midnightninja]

I'm from Australia as well! Queensland here. I will be looking forward to your journey as I'm looking to get 5.08cm done on my thighs as well. What made you overlook a Dr such as Guitchet who is known for weight bearing nails?

All in all, good luck mate.

[MOOZE]

I'm from Australia as well! Queensland here. I will be looking forward to your journey as I'm looking to get 5.08cm done on my thighs as well. What made you overlook a Dr such as Guitchet who is known for weight bearing nails?

All in all, good luck mate.

Howdy mate, thanks for the question, it looks like there's a few Australians on here.
Main reason I've chosen Dr Lee is his location. I'm in Sydney, but the flight from Brizzy would be even closer to Seoul.
Travelling all the way to Europe wouldn't work for me, and the time zone in Asia works better for me to work remotely with clients in Australia.

[cobalt]

I think you will be okay in South Korea. With the level of cosmetic volumes they do, he should have enough experience under his belt. I checked out his blogs, case studies, and the results look satisfactory. His diaries on here for the most part have been good except the old versions of Precice malfunctioned in two pts we have heard so far.

I asked the same question in another diary about accommodation but I honestly believe with a major surgery like this, it is better to have everything arranged prior than to face unexpected. Living and renting by oneself with language barriers, sometimes someone may not be available to help you in worst case happens and you need to be transported to hospital fast. Do not tell me you will flag a cab yourself. My 2 cents.

[MOOZE]

I think you will be okay in South Korea. With the level of cosmetic volumes they do, he should have enough experience under his belt. I checked out his blogs, case studies, and the results look satisfactory. His diaries on here for the most part have been good except the old versions of Precice malfunctioned in two pts we have heard so far.

I asked the same question in another diary about accommodation but I honestly believe with a major surgery like this, it is better to have everything arranged prior than to face unexpected. Living and renting by oneself with language barriers, sometimes someone may not be available to help you in worst case happens and you need to be transported to hospital fast. Do not tell me you will flag a cab yourself. My 2 cents.

Yep, i'll make sure i have some options so i don't end up stuck. Most of the decent hotels have English speaking staff to help, but i'm still considering staying in a private room in the hospital for the duration of my stay.
It's an expensive option but daily physio is included for no charge and there will be less moving around / taxis etc.