Hey to all! The prefaceI have been on this forum for a little over a year, somewhere since the fall of 2023, when I started studying this topic. I have never written in someone else's topic or created my own topic, I only read and collected information. Now I think that I have to write my topic here, maybe it will help someone and give impetus, as this forum gave me impetus for the action I took. Forgive me in advance for my English, it is not at a high level and I use a translator.
Man, 33 years.
Starting height : 172.5 -173 cm ( in athens before surgery 173.5, but I think it's a mistake )
Height now : 177.2-177.5 cm ( Such a spread of measurements because I am straightening my posture. I expect that after removing the nail it will be 178)
Starting Weight : Before 82-84 kg , before operation 78.5 kg.
Now Weight : 90 kg
I had short thighs compared to my shins and correspondingly short legs compared to my torso. I chose the safest length to fully and successfully recover...
Preparing for surgery
I have never been a professional athlete, but when I was in school and university I always played sports and competed in various competitions. I broke my leg, got injured - and everything always healed on me like a dog (about a dog - this is a Russian proverb, meaning quickly and without problems )
In my normal life I have 3-4 workouts a week. 2-3 boxing sessions before work and 1-2 times a week I play hockey. Before the operation I stopped hockey and sparring in boxing 3 months before so as not to get injured and found myself a personal stretching trainer (a professional ballerina in the past). And for 3 months 3-4 times a week we did stretching. From a wooden man I became flexible again, like in school. In the future this will help me a lot. So do not neglect this! I could reach the floor with my palms, my elbows did not reach, but I was not so far from it. I completely bent my torso to my legs while sitting. I practically did the splits.
I followed a diet. I gave up sweets and alcohol. The doctor asked me to reduce my weight to 75, but I did it to 78.5. But thank God I have large bones and Dr. Giotikas inserted a large 13 mm nail without any problems.
Operation 16.10.2023 (+8 mm) .
I arrived in Athens on October 14th. On October 15th there was a preoperative examination and on October 16th the operation.
On the day of the operation I arrived at the hospital early, I felt cheerful. I changed into special clothes, they shaved my legs (it was horrible to see)). I was waiting in my room for the operation, there was not much time left and then a nurse came and injected me with something. And then it started)) I have never felt anything like this (never before a fight, not before any battle, action, problem). Most likely it was a panic attack. I felt very cold, it was uncomfortable to be there, thoughts suddenly appeared in my head that I did not need to be there, that I needed to leave here and I was ready to do it. It's good that my wife came with me. I called her and she came, asked to bring a blanket and calmed me down a little and was there until the injection was over. As soon as the injection was over, they took me to the operating room. I remember that it was cold there, very light and the smiling faces of the doctors. They gave me another injection and I fell asleep...
When I woke up, I didn't feel any pain, everything was fine. I didn't vomit, I had a good appetite. The Dr.Giotikas came and said that everything went well. Every hour the nurses came and gave me injections. On the 2nd day, the senior nurse V. came, she explained how I should now walk, sit, what I can and can't do, we walked around the floor on walkers. I learned to sit on them on the toilet myself. My arms didn't get tired, because I had a trained upper body, but this is also important and you need to pay attention to it. Because strong arms will help you during the operation. (Before the operation, I could pull myself up on the horizontal bar 27 times, today I pulled myself up 24 times, but the last 3 times were like sausage cramps))
The ward is good, as I understand it is a luxury. The food is good, there is a folding chair if someone wants to spend the night with you.
I immediately asked the doctor if I could take additional protein and calcium with magnesium for the bones - he said yes and I still take it daily. They also told me to do injections in the stomach for the first week, and then Xarelto until the end of the clicks and another 10 days after the end of the clicks.I also took Depon, Tramal and Lyrica. During the active phase - Voltaren. I took the medications in the morning, an hour before the clicks and in the evening, also an hour before the clicks, to achieve the maximum effect during the clicks. I also took Depon at night. And once a week vitamin D (there is a large dose of 25,000)
Three days later I was discharged from the hospital and the head nurse and I went with all my things to my future home for the next six weeks. My wife flew home on the day of my discharge (we have children), and the rest of the time I was alone. At first I was planning on the Grand Hyatt, but there were check-in dates with intervals for check-out from the hotel, so I settled on the Dr. Giotikas apartments. I rented an apartment for two people for 90 euros, but I lived alone (45 euros per person if there were two of us). There were two bedrooms with double beds, two toilets, a kitchen-living room with a TV, V-Fi, and a balcony. In one room on the bed I did gymnastics and clicks, and in the other I slept.) Convenient. It seemed to me that I was the first to live in these apartments, or they do repairs after patients, because the white walls get dirty after the wheels from a wheelchair) Also, the price included cleaning twice a week and washing clothes when necessary. Yes, it is more expensive than you can find on Airbnb, but in the overall cost of the operation it is not so significant.
In my apartment I had a wheelchair, a walker, crutches, a grab stick (to grab various objects), a bathing chair, a toilet seat with handles (I never used it, I thought it was uncomfortable). So there was no need to bring anything with me. The head nurse explained everything, showed how to sit on the toilet correctly, take a shower, how to bend and not bend my legs so that the nail would not be damaged. The head nurse made me some waterproof patches and when she left I rested and took a shower. It was wonderful ) I had no problems with the toilet, both options without problems. The problem was sitting on the toilet because I had HUGE bruises on my legs (back of the thigh). I also had a huge thirst after being discharged for 5 days. I drank about 4 liters of water a day. The doctor said it was normal.
Clicks
Сlicks started on October 21 .And finished clicking on November 30th . Total 655 Clicks )) I counted them) 15 clicks = 1 mm, so 655 = 43.6 mm. 43.6+8 = 51.6 mm But the doctor will say from the pictures that my lengthening was 50 mm.
I had random clicks. About 12 clicks at all time. This is when the legs are not yet strong after the incision and when moving, a click occurs. At first I was alarmed, but then I got used to it. As well as to this crazy sound from the click)))
The first week I did 15 clicks a day. 8 in the morning and 7 in the evening. At first it was quick and easy. The first week we did it together with the head nurse and the physiotherapist, who came to my apartment in turns. The second week I did 21 clicks a day. It was just as easy and simple. I did it alone, using the same method that the employees told me. I did clicks on each leg for 5-7 minutes. Difficulties started at 3 weeks .
The clicks became more and more difficult. I started to warm up more, do gymnastics before the clicks. My whole day began to revolve around the clicks. Waking up, breakfast, gymnastics for 1-1.5 hours, clicks for 30 minutes, physical therapy, lunch, gymnastics, clicks, dinner and sleep.
You need to learn to feel your legs, understand how a nail works (it is mirrored on different legs). The method of the employees no longer suited me, the method that is on this forum also did not fully suit me. Therefore, I did active gymnastics and looked for a method that suits me. And I found it. Personally, the method suited me when I pressed simultaneously with different hands on the leg opposite to each other at the knee and hip, as if I were twisting the leg. And I had a click painlessly and at a very short distance. When this did not happen, I understood that I was in a bad position and needed to change it. A small shift and the position could be lost after the click. Therefore, I had to re-take the position again. One day I decided to rush and make a click through force, not being in the correct position. I regretted it for the next three days)) I tore my leg and felt it. There is no need to force it. You need to understand how the clicking occurs for you. Even the same nail can click differently for patients. And even for you it can click differently at different times of the week. Don't do it if there is pain, try changing the technique, position. Even a different angle of the leg and body can change everything. Look for the technique and position that is right for you. When I understood this, it became easy for me. It's okay if you do the clicks for a long time. It's better to do them for a long time, but without pain. I clicked, then rested. I mentally rested between the clicks, listened to music)) The clicks were stressful for me, but I was able to overcome it.
Physiotherapy
They was 3 times a week in the physiotherapy center and once a week a physiotherapist came to the apartments from the Dr. Giotikas team. T. is a very responsive specialist who always tries to help. In the physiotherapy center, everything was according to the protocol - stretching, electrical stimulation, pressotherapy for legs, cold therapy for legs, antigravity treadmill. This center has cheerful, responsive guys and girls) There we communicated with each other patients, were interested in others and shared our experiences. And it was also a kind of relaxation, a place to talk, to unwind. We were driven to the center by a driver from Dr. Giotikas’ team - G. - also a very responsive and good guy.
Completion of the lengthening
26.11.2024 I had my last x-ray in Athens and an appointment with Dr. Giotikas .
He said that the nail was even and consolidation was going well. And he was not against my departure on 11/29.
On 11/29 in the morning I did the last clicks (15 clicks at a time), went to the physiotherapy center for procedures, came back, packed my things and the doctor's driver took me to the airport, there he walked me to the assistants and they let me through everywhere without waiting in line and I only had to wait for my flight home. Then an 8-hour layover and another plane and then I was already home. I also took an extra Xarelto an hour before the flight and put on compression stockings and didn’t take them off until I got home.
How nice it was at home. Home-cooked food, borscht).In Athens I ordered all my ready meals and products from e-food. And I got pretty tired of it..
No clicks!) I slept off the weekend, finally took a hot bath with salt. There was none in the apartment in Athens , only a shower.
Recovery
The first thing I did when I arrived was go to the hospital and give blood and urine for analysis. I had elevated platelets and liver readings. I took them every week until they returned to normal. I advise you to monitor them dynamically after the operation. In Athens, for some reason, they didn’t do tests for me after I was discharged from the hospital. It seemed strange to me. After the lengthening I stopped taking painkillers, but I came off them slowly, reducing the dose every 2 days so as not to get the opposite effect. withdrawal syndrome. Giotikas told me about this.
I continued to walk on crutches. At home I walked with a walker, it was more comfortable for me. I could walk without a walker and without crutches at home - but I was in no hurry, waiting for my muscles to strengthen. Every day I did gymnastics, I started doing exercises for my buttocks and legs, which were sent to me by e-mail, I rode a bicycle every day. I did not do unnecessary exercises, only what I was allowed. On December 3, I got behind the wheel for the first time and went to work for a short time. My legs were a little swollen, so I did not put much stress on them. The next 3 weeks I did everything as described above. I saw how my legs were getting bigger (when I arrived they were thin and I had no buttocks at all). On December 20, I did an x-ray and the doctor said that I was recovering well and I could walk 2-3 hours a day without crutches. I started walking. Without fanaticism, with a cane (because in Russia it's winter - ice, snow and it's easy to fall in my condition)
Every day I got better and better. I started adding load, doing more approaches and repetitions. But you need to feel your body. I didn't do everything at the limit, but I didn't do everything easy either. If I do a hard workout one day, then the next day I do an easy one. The main thing is to always do workouts, sleep well and eat. Although it became more difficult to follow the regime, because I started going to work half a day in the office (before that I worked from home)
Every day I became better and better . I didn't get tired when walking. I walked 3-4 thousand steps a day.
The New Year has come, the holidays have arrived. I even allowed myself beer, it's wonderful after 5 months of abstinence)) I can't wait to taste beer after a good game of hockey, then it becomes many times tastier!
I had an x-ray done on 16.01, although Giotikas asked to do it later, but when I asked him, he replied that it could be done earlier at my request.
"this almost completed. No bending. You can run, squat lift weights as per your comfort. take it easy though to avoid muscle fatigue and soreness, send me x-rays in three months, thanks" - It was like honey in my ears
this is amazing , 3 months And I can return to a full life again.
I tried to squat (although I never risked doing it) and I succeeded, I even tried to run in my appartment and I succeeded in that too, although it was ridiculous
don't worry, i'm not going to run and i don't do it anymore)
I added a load and now I do exercises with weights on my legs (1 kg per leg) and also increased the number of repetitions. I already ride the bike at 5 speeds out of 8, almost like before the operation. I feel like I'm getting stronger. I also started to actively train my upper body again, but sitting or lying down. and I gradually add squats to my workouts. Without fanaticism. You should feel your body.
Now I walk without a cane. The gait is almost normal , there is a bit of stalling , but the penguin 's gait is gone .
And I'm going to go to my stretching trainer again. Then I'll tell you, if of course you're interested in my topic)
The conclusion
I had no problem with my height estimate. Only when my wife wore heels and was taller than me ))))). We are the same height
lengthening was not my number one goal in life . I accidentally found out about it in a telegram that such operations are carried out . That new methods have appeared. I knew about Ilizarov's method a long time ago and how long it takes to restore it, and I was never going to do it. But when I learned about nails, I read that people walk and recover much faster. I was very interested in this and I kept this thought in my head, and then I decided that I would do it. And I did. And I do not regret it at all, but on the contrary, I became happier and realized that I lacked this before (although I did not think so before the operation). I used to think that 5 cm was a small thing. But 5 cm higher - it can really make you happier. ( it's crazy, but it's true )
Thank God that everything went well.
P.S. Even though everything is written here smoothly, it was still not an easy path. It was a real test.
Take risks, do things, be happier! But do everything carefully, analyze, collect information, prepare yourself physically and mentally.
I wish everyone who is planning to do so - good luck and do what he has planned, and a speedy recovery for those who have already decided
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Topic: Athens Dr.Giotikas +5cm G-Nail Femur . Completed (Read 919 times)