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[An_Apple_A_Day]

Assuming you stick to fairly conservative lengthening (5-7cm) with a doctor that isn't a complete butcher and take care with PT, do you think recovery is possible?  I had yet another reminder today of how "Small" I am.  But I just thought at least I got LL to look forward to.  Then again, just did a great workout and I worry I won't be able to post LL.

Wondering what you guys think/do you care?  What will you be happy with?  Being able to walk to the bar?  Being able to run?  Play sports?  I want to be able to be able to get back to at least above average fitness and strength.  I know my upper body will be fine, so long as I can still run a 8 minute mile at some point I'll be happy.

[TomD]

Assuming you stick to fairly conservative lengthening (5-7cm) with a doctor that isn't a complete butcher and take care with PT, do you think recovery is possible?  I had yet another reminder today of how "Small" I am.  But I just thought at least I got LL to look forward to.  Then again, just did a great workout and I worry I won't be able to post LL.

Wondering what you guys think/do you care?  What will you be happy with?  Being able to walk to the bar?  Being able to run?  Play sports?  I want to be able to be able to get back to at least above average fitness and strength.  I know my upper body will be fine, so long as I can still run a 8 minute mile at some point I'll be happy.

For me I will not give up any of that to be taller. Not one inch or 6 inches.  If I can never run properly again like a normal human being, its not a trade off I take.

At my age of 47, I am willing to accept a little less athletic ability for 6 inches of height, but I dont know if I would at age 25.

[KiloKAHN]

I'm a pretty awful runner to begin with, but I participate in amateur freestyle wrestling frequently. My main concern is being able to participate in contact sports like that afterward. I think with a good surgeon, stringent physiotherapy, and reasonable lengthening (I'm shooting for 5cm) then I should be able to get back to that. But then there are always risks involved. Do I want to take that risk? Leaning toward yes.

[An_Apple_A_Day]

I'm a pretty awful runner to begin with, but I participate in amateur freestyle wrestling frequently. My main concern is being able to participate in contact sports like that afterward. I think with a good surgeon, stringent physiotherapy, and reasonable lengthening (I'm shooting for 5cm) then I should be able to get back to that. But then there are always risks involved. Do I want to take that risk? Leaning toward yes.

Well there are very, very few account of people recovered anywhere.  I am concerned recovery from this isn't actually possible.  We can't ask Dr's who perform the surgery because naturally they will say "yes" I mean who can we trust nowadays?  And any orthopedic surgeon you could get in touch with would almost certainly try and scare you off.  I might pay for a consultation with a private orthopedic surgeon and ask from honest, impartial advice.

I think if several of us do this across the globe and post our findings we could get a more accurate picture.  If I cant get my legs back I'm gonna have to walk away from this and deal with my height neurosis which, may or may not consume me in the end.

[Generic]

Well there are very, very few account of people recovered anywhere.  I am concerned recovery from this isn't actually possible.  We can't ask Dr's who perform the surgery because naturally they will say "yes" I mean who can we trust nowadays?  And any orthopedic surgeon you could get in touch with would almost certainly try and scare you off.  I might pay for a consultation with a private orthopedic surgeon and ask from honest, impartial advice.

I think if several of us do this across the globe and post our findings we could get a more accurate picture.  If I cant get my legs back I'm gonna have to walk away from this and deal with my height neurosis which, may or may not consume me in the end.

I'm thinking the same! For years I dreamed of 8-10CM per segment but after recent events unfolded, I feel as though the wool was pulled over our eyes. I'd now be really happy with 5-7cm but I'm still shocked with the lack of recovery that people seem to be reporting righ now...

[Sweden]

I have to believe it is possible, or else my life is over.

A couple of veterans have told me that there's no doubt that I will recover and that feels good but I feel that there is a very long road ahead of me.

I should have stuck to my original plan and only do 6cm. But the taste of being 180cm instead of 179cm was greater than my mind.
I like being 180 now but it was a huge price to pay, larger than I expected.

[KiloKAHN]

Didn't old forum A say he knew someone who did cosmetic leg lengthening that went back to professional football (I'm assuming he's talking about European football/soccer) ?

[Carter]

old forum A was from UK right, so yea he's probably meant the football you play with the legs only.

Sweden,  do you think the extra 1cm is noticeable/worth it?  I'm also thinking whether I should go for 6 or 7cm on Tibia.

[Adriano]

yes u can recover fully Sweden.

just a few months back u were tip toyinges around tryng to walk as best as u could.

recently u have been attempting ur taekwondo kicks to a point where ppl noticed ur high kicks!!

impossible is nothing!!!

with that said, i think it will be around 5 years before u could be as explosive off the blocks ( in a 100m spirint dash/race) as you were before.

this is ofcos true for gus very eary i their 20's. after that age u cant really compare or measure because the rest of ur body is aging while u r recovering from LL so u can never reallly compare the "before and After"

other than that Yes can recover up the the average joe level of fitness.


im 30 so after my LL and recovery ill be around 34. at that age i will be as strong as i would have been if not strong on my legs (bcos there will be more matter down there than before)

Yes i may not be ast strong as a guy who would have been born with my new frame but i will be stronger than my shorter version of me.  (and agin not over a 100m sprint, but I dont car so much about that to be honest)

my 2 cents any way.

[NBW]

This might be a bad analogy, but there have been many elite athletes who have broken one of their leg bones or multiple and they recover fine, being able to participate in their sports again, obviously it is still a detriment to their performance to their previous condition.

Kevin Ware, basketball player, 6 months ago broke a compound bone and on top of that destroyed other cells in the muscles, etc.

This is him now
]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkQ6mVvvYVc]


I believe jack0life - whatever his name is, has recovered fully.

Many patients of Dr. Lee seem to have recovered rapidly and perform quite well.
Here is a clip of a patient running 2 years post frame removal, tibs, 6cm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm_ro8kixC0

[Need2BTaller]

I believe that recovery is definitely possible.  But the person has to be very realistic with their goals, as well as be at the highest standards of physical and mental strength.  Too many guys I see who only see LL as a ticket to infinite heights, without thinking the long term consequences they may face in the future.  I started out thinking I'm going to do 8-9cm in one segment, but after reading the horror stories patients go through during recovery, had really change my way of thinking. 

[Need2BTaller]

@NBW, Professional athletes have a much better healing and recovery rate than the average joe.  Factoring in top of the line health care personnel they are receiving treatments from, they really do recover at an exceptional rate.

[NBW]

@NBW, Professional athletes have a much better healing and recovery rate than the average joe.  Factoring in top of the line health care personnel they are receiving treatments from, they really do recover at an exceptional rate.

You're are right 100%. I had the same thought as well while making my post. I just wanted answer the question "Do you think recovery is possible?" and that it is possible as evident.

[somecm]

Yes it is possible. I did internals, removed the nail and I am fully recovered. If you are afraid of this, dont worry, it is possible if ypu dont go beyond 7cm. But I saw guys with 8cm that were also very well.

[Need2BTaller]

Hey somecm, with whom did you have surgery with and how much have you lengthened, and how long did you wait until nail removal?  Perhaps you should create another thread with your overall experience?  Oh yeah forgot to say, welcome to the board  .

[somecm]

I did 7. With Betz. Waited 2 years. About new thread i don't really want so much publicity,  but ican answer questions.

[Need2BTaller]

lol that's understandable.  Dod you by any chance receive the 11mm or 13mm nails?

[somecm]

lol that's understandable.  Dod you by any chance receive the 11mm or 13mm nails?

11mm. In the begining (first month after lengthening) you feel strange about the size of your legs. But veru quick you get used to them and you feel like they aways had the same length. While having the nails in, running is strange you feel like your feet touch the ground less softly as before LL. But when you remove nails this senstion really goes alway and you dont even remenber you have done LL. However I know some people that didn't feel any diference after removal

[TomD]

11mm. In the begining (first month after lengthening) you feel strange about the size of your legs. But veru quick you get used to them and you feel like they aways had the same length. While having the nails in, running is strange you feel like your feet touch the ground less softly as before LL. But when you remove nails this senstion really goes alway and you dont even remenber you have done LL. However I know some people that didn't feel any diference after removal

 Having done LL yourself personally, is it your experience that 3 inches is attainable ? Have you seen others firsthand lengthen 7.5 cm and recover fully ?

[somecm]

Having done LL yourself personally, is it your experience that 3 inches is attainable ? Have you seen others firsthand lengthen 7.5 cm and recover fully ?

yes.

[TomD]

yes.

Is there any way I can convince you to go to the patient diaries and write a summary on your experience? I know you cant go day by day now , but a write up on the doc, how much, when and how it went would be AWESOME for the newbies to see and take courage from.

The success stories are the back bone of the whole industry 

[alps]

Yep, I'd request somecm to do that too.

Spread the joy man

[speaknuh]

somecm, do you keep in touch with other Betz patients?  I'm wondering for those who lengthened a reasonable amount (5-7.5cm) what was their chance of full recovery? 

[Medium Drink Of Water]

I don't think it is, I know it is. But you have to have reasonable expectations. 100% recovery like it never even happened? Maybe if you're superman and only lengthen a little bit, but otherwise no.

I lengthened 3 inches on my tibiae in Beijing in 2007 and I'm doing quite well now. My knees feel a bit stiff sometimes and it hurts a little when I kneel on a hard surface, but those are my only real complaints.

I can't run as fast as I used to be able to, but I can still run okay. My legs get tired more quickly/easily so endurance running was probably affected the worst. Walking is no problem though. I go on 2-3 hour walks sometimes. I do Yoga videos and actually have gotten 100% of my hamstring flexibility back. I can put my palms on the floor with straight legs now. To me, that's recovery.

[Need2BTaller]

Not sure if you stated already, have you had your nails removed?

[somecm]

somecm, do you keep in touch with other Betz patients?  I'm wondering for those who lengthened a reasonable amount (5-7.5cm) what was their chance of full recovery?

All the guys that have done surgery with me are doing well, and none of them regret the surgery. But guys who did more than 7cm took more time to full recovery.

[TomD]

All the guys that have done surgery with me are doing well, and none of them regret the surgery. But guys who did more than 7cm took more time to full recovery.

Hey somecm

Is there any way you can contact those patients and invite them to our site to share their experience ? 

[somecm]

Hey somecm

Is there any way you can contact those patients and invite them to our site to share their experience ? 

The guys I know don´t write in forums.

[alps]

somecm, could you write a diary of your LL experience? We would love to see some pics, vids, etc.
Thanks!

[OldieButGoldie]

In a few days I will hit the 6-month post-op mark. I lengthened almost 6cm (internal femur).
Currently I am doing very well and I strongly believe that recovery is possible.
I am starting to actually feel that it is possible, too.
I just hope my screws and nail will not break until the whole   is removed in hopefully a little less than a year.
If it wasn´t for the screws and the nails I could easily do rather heavy squats. Strength is coming back. Cycling a lot definitely helps.
OBG

[sadboy]

Akash Shukla was a guy who actually did the surgery (the external method, using the fixator) and in interviews he actually said that he is now back to sports and is able to run. Maybe it is possible to recover but we can't take it for granted