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[LAGrowin]

I had another checkup a couple of days ago, exactly 3 months post op. My knee bending issue has been fixed in my right leg while there is still a little bit of bending on my left which will be resolved pretty shortly. My bone growth while not great, has been good and in line with the normal time frame of 4-5 months before walking.  We will check back again at the 4 month mark.  So overall I'm feeling good, but not much going on until January.

Hi SLM.   Hope consolidation has continued without issue.  How long has it been since you stopped lengthening exactly?

Any issues you can share with us?   Would you do this again?   How does the new height feel?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Hi SLM.   Hope consolidation has continued without issue.  How long has it been since you stopped lengthening exactly?

Any issues you can share with us?   Would you do this again?   How does the new height feel?

Consolidation is going fine, legs feel so light and normal now. I stopped lengthening about 3 weeks ago.  Like I have mentioned I had 2 issues, nerve pain and knee contracture. I experienced nerve pain in my lower legs between 3cm to 5cm of lengthening whenever I straightened my legs for a period of time. This caused me to keep my legs bent to avoid the pain which caused me to develop the knee bending issue.  Once the nerve pain went away I started doing heavy PT exercises to straighten the legs which I have completely fixed now.

The only pain I have left now is in my hip whenever I lie on my side due to the screws in there. This kind of sucks as I am a side sleeper so I had to adjust to sleeping on my back.  This probably won't go away until the screws are taken out during rod removal. 

I would do this again, no regrets, life is pretty rough down here at my height lol.  At 5'2 you are pretty screwed. When you are short, you have a chip on your shoulder. You have to try harder at life socially and professionally. You have to compensate elsewhere wherever you can like your face and body aesthetics.  A good career helps too so you can have money to throw at your problems like something as "ridiculous" as limb lengthening haha. 

[LAGrowin]

Consolidation is going fine, legs feel so light and normal now. I stopped lengthening about 3 weeks ago.  Like I have mentioned I had 2 issues, nerve pain and knee contracture. I experienced nerve pain in my lower legs between 3cm to 5cm of lengthening whenever I straightened my legs for a period of time. This caused me to keep my legs bent to avoid the pain which caused me to develop the knee bending issue.  Once the nerve pain went away I started doing heavy PT exercises to straighten the legs which I have completely fixed now.

The only pain I have left now is in my hip whenever I lie on my side due to the screws in there. This kind of sucks as I am a side sleeper so I had to adjust to sleeping on my back.  This probably won't go away until the screws are taken out during rod removal. 

I would do this again, no regrets, life is pretty rough down here at my height lol.  At 5'2 you are pretty screwed. When you are short, you have a chip on your shoulder. You have to try harder at life socially and professionally. You have to compensate elsewhere wherever you can like your face and body aesthetics.  A good career helps too so you can have money to throw at your problems like something as "ridiculous" as limb lengthening haha.

Hi SLM,

Thank you for the continued responses and for sharing with us. So good to hear that you were able to overcome those issues in time and with PT.   Seems like PT and personal push through can overcome a lot of issues that could otherwise be serious.  Great to hear the knee bend is gone as well as the nerve pain.

As for the hip pain from the nails,  1 year will be gone before you know it. Seems some have that issue and some don't.  Hoping to be in your shoes and consolidating soon as well.   It is a little scary for me the closer it gets.

Good to hear that there are no regrets.  Hopefully life is much improved for you at your new height.    Enjoy it.  Good that you were able to do something about it for you.

Wish you well SLM.

Another question?  Did you lose a lot of leg muscle during the process ?   Did you do anything to try to avoid it?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Hey all, I had another checkup today, it's been about 4.5 months post op.  I was disappointed to hear that while my legs are now strong enough to stand on their own, they haven't consolidated enough to where I can start walking without any support. Hence I am relegated to using crutches for walking. Dr. R said another month should be all I need to be able to ditch the crutches in February. I am definitely behind the curve when it comes to consolidation, probably due to me being a little older and Asian.  Feelsbadman.   

[Android]

The hard part's over, just a little longer! Glad to hear that things are going relatively smoothly.

[Body Builder]

So how much did you finally lengthen Shortlive?

Don't worry about 1 months more, many things with LL are much worse (non union, malunion, infection etc) than having a little longer consolidation.
Although I think that about 5 months for about 7cm for unaided walking are not much.

[ShortLivesMatter]

So how much did you finally lengthen Shortlive?

Don't worry about 1 months more, many things with LL are much worse (non union, malunion, infection etc) than having a little longer consolidation.
Although I think that about 5 months for about 7cm for unaided walking are not much.

I lengthened 6.7cm.

Things are getting better now. Getting around with crutches is pretty easy with balance getting much better. I can stand without any support for extended periods of time now without getting tired which means I can actually pee, brush teeth, shower... standing up.  Today was the first time I was able to stand up from my bed without using my hands to push off.

Other than that I'm using the stationary bike an hour a day and doing side leg raises to strengthen my glutes.  Thankfully I don't have duckass, but will see how weird my walk is once I'm off the crutches. The only pain I'm having right now is in the back of the knee in my right leg. This happens after I have been standing with the legs straight and then I bend it to start moving.  But it goes away after I take a couple of steps.  My next appointment is in 2 weeks and hopefully then I'll be given permission to get rid of the crutches. My company really wants me to come back from my leave of absence so I'm going back to work in a month, hopefully my gait won't be too weird by then.  It'll be nice to start making some money again haha. 

[Mariobro]

Hi Shortlive. Andy update?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Sure, since running into bigdreams at my office visit about 10 days ago, I've begun walking. I don't have duckass but my hips sway from side to side from the weak glutes so I'm walking like a penguin waddling.  I still use 1 crutch to traverse the stairs if there is no railing, cannot climb them on my own. I get tired quickly and my muscles hurt after walking but it's slowly improving.

I've also gone back to work and obviously people have noticed my weird swaying walk and asked what happened. I told them I had surgery to straighten my bowed legs and was bedridden for awhile and my legs are still recovering and regaining strength. This made perfect sense to them.  The height difference isn't really that noticeable as I used to wear 1 inch lifts and now I don't so not many people have noticed.  Some have commented that I have gotten skinnier and better looking while one did say that I seemed to have gotten taller. I think she was the only one who noticed since we were the same height prior. I told her the bowed leg surgery straightened my legs which gave me half an inch height increase, again this made perfect sense to her. 

Anyway looking forward to getting my life back together little by little. Thankfully I did not have any big complications except for nerve pain and knee contraction which both are now gone, just a slow consolidation.  I'm still short but not so ridiculously short, which is what I wanted to achieve. 

[myloginacct]

Hey, SLM. I hope you've been well.

Do you think you will also ever do tibias?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Yeah I'm doing well, hips sway is still there but has improved. Working again has made it tougher to recover quickly as i sit 8 hrs in front of a computer and am tired by the time I get home so I haven't been walking as much as I should.  2 people that were similar height to me have noted a difference.  Several women have complimented and said I look different and better. I said it was probably due to me getting skinnier and getting a trendy haircut. 

Will I ever do tibias? That's tough to say. Like I said I am still pretty short at 5ft 4inches now but I don't stick out like a sore thumb like prior to LL, well maybe I still do but not as much lol. Money is not an issue as I am fortunate to work in a field that compensates well but I am also not in my 20s anymore so am not that young. Another problem is I am skinny and have a small frame so going up another 2 inches will probably look weird unless I start lifting to fill out my body. But the upcoming Precises 3 and its ability to bear full weight looks really tempting , I'll have to wait for some Precise 3 user experiences to come out before making a decision. 

[lon chaney]

hey shortlives, hope you're well. i'm wondering if you think anything other than genetics / age contributed to slow consolidation. anything you would've done differently in regards to exercise or diet?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Hey everyone, just wanted to give a quick update. It's been about a year since my procedure. Dr Rozbruch truly did a magnificent job.  Everything is pretty much back to normal now, gait is normal, no more hip swaying. Running is still weird and slow but it's just something I need to work on more.  I am not as flexible as I was prior, again something I need to continue to work on.  Absolutely no pain, only minor discomfort when I sit with my legs crossed due to the nails still being in there.  The scars are still pretty evident and they are keloid, will have to consult with a plastic surgeon on how to remove them. 

So many people have commented that I look really different upon the first time seeing me again and I always credit it to my new hair style and me losing weight. I was rocking a buzzcut before and now have a pompadour which added like 2 extra inches lol so I steer the conversation to that direction and avoid suspicion.  The people alot taller than me has no idea tho, it's the people close to my previous height that seems to notice. 

Going from 5'1.5 to 5'4 is huge. I no longer stick out like a sore thumb.  But I still feel like my journey is not yet complete, which is why I am going back to have another consultation with Dr. Rozbruch about lengthening my tibia.  I am waiting for the STRYDE to be available and he said he should have it by September.  My plan is to take a month off from work for the procedure and then come back as I think Stryde patients can come off crutches after 3 weeks. Sure it'll be hell going to work and lengthening at the same time but I can't afford to take 5 months off again. Pain is only temporary... 

[myloginacc]

Hey everyone, just wanted to give a quick update. It's been about a year since my procedure. Dr Rozbruch truly did a magnificent job.  Everything is pretty much back to normal now, gait is normal, no more hip swaying. Running is still weird and slow but it's just something I need to work on more.  I am not as flexible as I was prior, again something I need to continue to work on.  Absolutely no pain, only minor discomfort when I sit with my legs crossed due to the nails still being in there.  The scars are still pretty evident and they are keloid, will have to consult with a plastic surgeon on how to remove them. 

So many people have commented that I look really different upon the first time seeing me again and I always credit it to my new hair style and me losing weight. I was rocking a buzzcut before and now have a pompadour which added like 2 extra inches lol so I steer the conversation to that direction and avoid suspicion.  The people alot taller than me has no idea tho, it's the people close to my previous height that seems to notice. 

Going from 5'1.5 to 5'4 is huge. I no longer stick out like a sore thumb.  But I still feel like my journey is not yet complete, which is why I am going back to have another consultation with Dr. Rozbruch about lengthening my tibia.  I am waiting for the STRYDE to be available and he said he should have it by September.  My plan is to take a month off from work for the procedure and then come back as I think Stryde patients can come off crutches after 3 weeks. Sure it'll be hell going to work and lengthening at the same time but I can't afford to take 5 months off again. Pain is only temporary...

Just a quick FYI:

If they are truly keloids and not hypertrophic scars, research seems to indicate cryotherapy alongside surgical intervention is the best method of removing keloidal scars. Simply cutting it out during a surgical intervention, without cryo or laser therapy, just makes the keloids come back and in even bigger size than before, in most cases.

Glad to hear you're also not having any pain, either. From what Microbe and some others wrote here, things should feel even better after nail removal.

[Bosnian2018]

Hi SLM,

Did you drive between your home and the Dr's office or you had someone else drive you?

Would you say you could manage on your own during lengthening?


DO you use a walker or wheelchair when you get to HSS?

How is the wait in the lobby?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Just a quick FYI:

If they are truly keloids and not hypertrophic scars, research seems to indicate cryotherapy alongside surgical intervention is the best method of removing keloidal scars. Simply cutting it out during a surgical intervention, without cryo or laser therapy, just makes the keloids come back and in even bigger size than before, in most cases.

Glad to hear you're also not having any pain, either. From what Microbe and some others wrote here, things should feel even better after nail removal.

Thanks for the info, yeah they might not be keloid and just hypertrophic scars.

@Troma  I had someone drive me but you can drive yourself. I moved back in with my parents during lengthening and had them take care of me, you can survive on your own but you definitely need a caretaker the first week.  To get to HSS i used a wheelchair as the walk from the parking garage to the office can be busy and difficult.  The wait at the office is pretty standard, you check in, they send you to do xrays, once that's done, you come back and they let you wait some more until Dr. Rozbruch comes sees you. 

[Hamza]

hello shortlive,

I am 34 years old male. 82 kg. Athletic.

I scheduled a surgery for right femur lengthening with the same Dr. at the end of this month (Precise nail).
My right leg is shorter than my left leg by 10 mm. I used to modify all my shoes for the last 10 years to be able to walk and run with back pain free and i want to get rid of this noticeable and tiring solution. i will start a thread later with the details but the question is: From ur experience, do u think that lengthening by such a small amount would result the same issues that u have talked about ? (nerve pain, stiffness, or any others ...). Please advise.

[ShortLivesMatter]

hello shortlive,

I am 34 years old male. 82 kg. Athletic.

I scheduled a surgery for right femur lengthening with the same Dr. at the end of this month (Precise nail).
My right leg is shorter than my left leg by 10 mm. I used to modify all my shoes for the last 10 years to be able to walk and run with back pain free and i want to get rid of this noticeable and tiring solution. i will start a thread later with the details but the question is: From ur experience, do u think that lengthening by such a small amount would result the same issues that u have talked about ? (nerve pain, stiffness, or any others ...). Please advise.

Nah you should be fine, I only started experiencing nerve pain and stiffness after 3cm of lengthening and they went away after I was done with lengthening.  Best of luck!

So I just had another consultation with Dr. Rozbruch about lengthening my tibia and fixing my bowed legs. He said he could do them at the same time which was music to my ears since I had always thought you could not do them at the same time internally.  He said we could aim for 5cm of lengthening and then possibly more depending on how I hold up and that straightening the tibia would give me an additional .6-.7cm of length.  Dr Paley had said it would give me about .8cm so about the same ballpark.  I asked if Stryde was available and if I could use it.  He said right now only the 11.5mm nail is available and that is too big for my bones so I would have to wait until the 9mm nail comes out, this surprised me as I did not know there was a 9mm nail, I thought the smallest one was 10mm. Anyway the important thing is I will have to wait for the smallest STRYDE nail which really sucks, I was all ready to go for round 2.   

Oh and someone had asked for pics of the scars, so here they are and they are not pretty. But I am asian and prone to scarring so whatever, will need to get them fixed later.  Also be warned you might experience temporary blindness due to the whitness of my legs lol.

https://imgur.com/a/TnhawIo

[JohnOdin]

Thanks ShortLives! I'm asian as well. Could I ask are you planning to get those scars removed and how?

[Hamza]

Thank You. I hope that i can pass this small correction with no complications.

I also mailed the DR. asking about STRYDE availability, he said he will try to order it for me and i am still waiting his reply.
My bones are not very thick so maybe i have the same case as u (11.8mm might not fit and i have to wait for the 9mm)... did he tell u when the 9mm will be available ?

What about the surgery itself, is it painful ? I am an international patient so i am staying in a hotel in time square, do u think that during lengthening (10 days approx.) i will be able to go outside the hotel with crutches ?

[ShortLivesMatter]

Since the femur bone is thicker than tibia, you should be ok.  He said that the 10mm nail is out but there's limited availability and not readily available which I think is why he said he would try to order it for you.  No idea about the 9mm.  Surgery isn't really painful, you will be on painkillers. 

Due to popular demand, I've posted more scars below. So in total on each leg there's 2 on the hip, 1 on the upper thigh and 1 on the lower thigh. I will be going in for nail removal soon so will probably get some more scars then  .

https://imgur.com/a/vFeabub

[Hamza]

Since the femur bone is thicker than tibia, you should be ok.  He said that the 10mm nail is out but there's limited availability and not readily available which I think is why he said he would try to order it for you.  No idea about the 9mm.  Surgery isn't really painful, you will be on painkillers. 

Due to popular demand, I've posted more scars below. So in total on each leg there's 2 on the hip, 1 on the upper thigh and 1 on the lower thigh. I will be going in for nail removal soon so will probably get some more scars then  .

https://imgur.com/a/vFeabub

The Dr. answered that the STRYDE is still new and it shows some minor problems so he prefers to go with Precise Nail 2.

Do u think that i will be able to go outside the hotel during lengthening phase by using crutches ?

The scars are thick why ? is it a special case or same scars would show for all patients ?

[Bosnian2018]

I too am interested if these scars are commonly keloid for everyone ?

Not to offend. They look kind of bad for internal. Have you talked to a doc about removal?


nonetheless a worthy trade in my opinion.

[4cms]

Hi, I just had a checkup at Dr. Rozbruch's office today. I have lengthened 3.5cm so far. Xrays showing good callus formation.  I have started to develop a little knee bending although I can still straighten my legs if I put effort into it so I need to work on keeping them as straight as possible.  Problem is if I keep my legs straight for too long sometimes I experience a painful tingling/burning sensation in my inner lower leg area .  Dr. Rozbruch says that happens from time to time and it's due to the sciatic nerve and should go away on its own. However we decided to slow down the lengthening rate to .66mm a day for a little while to alleviate the problem. I'll keep you guys updated.

Pretty good so you done 3cms in about a month

[Hamza]

I too am interested if these scars are commonly keloid for everyone ?

Not to offend. They look kind of bad for internal. Have you talked to a doc about removal?


nonetheless a worthy trade in my opinion.

I have done the surgery in 21 of august with Dr. Rozbruch (correction of small LLD by lengthening my right femur). Scars are perfect with no keloids. I will stop using the crutshes on the 1st of october.

[ShortLivesMatter]

Had the rods removed this morning, am back home now. Walking is slow and with a sway atm. Dr. said it should take about a week or two to recover.

[hotty]

That was fast! Congrats on finally having finished with this ordeal.

[shortykon]

Hi SLM!

Thank you for the update! Hope everything goes well !!!

I am very likely to pick Dr. Rozbruch to do a femur LL next year if everything goes right since I am a New Yorker and lives with parents at the moment.

Did you ask him regarding about STRYDE (such as expected experience, etc...) when you were contemplating to do a tiabias LL with him? Also if possible, can you share even more info or insight on how the insurance process works with Dr. Rozbruch (Like can you file the claims to see if how many expenses are covered by your insurance BEFORE, actually needing to pay the doctor the fees ?)
 
I estimated that I can pay around $70k out of pocket expenses if my insurance (Cigna) does cover certain expenses for the LL like your does, and if not, then I have to wait another year 

Thank you for your help!!

[Uphill]

Hi SLM,

Thank you for posting your diary. It’s really an exciting experience.
I still don’t understand the insurance coverage part: how could healthcare insurance cover this obvious cosmetic surgery? Some other leg problem(s) got fixed at same time?
Thank you

[ShortLivesMatter]

Walking is back to normal now after a week.  Was at a party last night and after standing for about 3 hours, the legs started getting a bit tired but not a big deal. The incision sites still hurt if I put pressure on it but that should go away soon. I honestly thought the removal surgery would be a bigger deal but thankfully Dr. Rozbruch is the best at what he does. 

I did ask him if the STRYDE 10mm nail was available yet and he again said that Nuvasive was still testing some things and it was available but not readily available? I think Dr. Rozbruch is a very conservative doctor and he is waiting a little bit to see more results from the new STRYDE nail. He recommended that I wait til the spring to do my tibias and let Nuvasive work out all the kinks of the new nail. I have a follow up appt with him next week and will ask him if any of his patients are using any of the STRYDE nails yet. 

As for insurance, as I have explained before, there is the surgeon fees and the hospital fees. If you have insurance, there is a good chance the hospital fees should be covered as it is not voluntary, the other patients have experienced the same.  For the surgeon fees, insurance "might" cover a small portion of it but that amount won't be the deciding factor whether you want to go through with it or not.  Again tho I have to STRESS that you have to be prepared to cover all expenses in case insurance covers nothing.  I don't think you can know before hand how much it will cost you until after the surgery and the claims are submitted. 

[Kenda]

Hi SLM , i was wondering from which surgery exactly did you get those scars from ?? Is it the precice 2 ??
Also do you have an idea about the cost of Dr Rozburch 9mm Stryde nail on femurs ??
I was planning to do it after a year