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[burntsmores]

Hi,

I've been lurking on this forum for a while and noticed that medical terms are often used without the necessary clarification to make them meaningful. I haven't had the procedure done, nor am I a leg lengthening surgeon however I am a doctor and feel it may streamline the conversation if we were clearer about our terminology.

 - Infection
Yes infection is a very important complication, yes it is common. However, when discussing infection it' always important to talk about the site. An infection at the level of the skin is a lot more easily resolved (a condition called cellulitis) than an infection deep in the bone (osteomyelitis). Osteomyelitis is thankfully rare, there is not a lot of publicaly available data as to how common it is in this specific procedure, but in major orthopaedic procedures a rate of 1-3% is typical.

 - Embolism/clot
There are two kinds of clots that can occur from this surgery (for the most part). The most common is a blood clot. This occurs because trauma, such as the kind you get from surgery, affects your body's clotting. They can appear as a clot in the leg (called deep venous thrombosis), or they can even travel to the lung (called PE, pulmonary embolism) which is very serious. Most doctors will treat you with a anti-clotting agent during your surgery, as well as during your post-op care. (Natural supplements like ginger and tumeric are insufficient for anti-clotting, anyone on the forum suggesting they are comparable are grossly incorrect).
The second kind is called a fat embolism. This a much rarer complication, but has similar consequences to a blood clot. Surgeons will have you stay in the hospital post-op to observe you incase this happens. After a 5-7 days the risk of a fat embolism is minimal.

 - Pain, inflexibility, gait problems
Your body is very used to its' normal proportions. Any adjustments to that can cause problems with surrounding soft tissue. In theory, your bone is very capable of growing to extreme levels, but the limitation to how much you lengthen is your surrounding tissues. These tissues include tendons, muscles, fascia (covering of muscles) and neurovascular bundles (nerves and blood vessels). While your soft tissue has the ability to adapt to new lengths, you need to give it adequete time and utilise physiotherapy, and there's a limit to its' adaptive potential. Tightness and weakness in the muscle from overlengthening is called contracture, and you can almost 100% guarantee you will experience it during your post-op care. Problems like duck-ass are because the hip flexors get stretched and weaker, and your glutes (butt) atrophy due to surgery. The solution is to stretch the hip flexors and strengthen the glutes.

This is by no means a substitute for a consultation with a surgeon, or your primary health care provider. If you are considering the surgery the best source of information will be a doctor experienced with this procedure.