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[RenaissanceMan]

Greetings everyone,
Call me Chris.

Procedure

Considering all of the 5 possible procedures listed here (https://imgur.com/a/DejKLUY), I really want Option 5. With full awareness that I will be lampooned, I shall list my reasons.
Reason 1
I hope I am not deluding myself but I wish to believe, with unwavering certainty, in the truth of Paley's statement that 5 is the 'safest'. To quote Paley exactly, 5 is "a rather interesting one, since it allows one to achieve the maximum possible length in the safest possible way... It is not possible to achieve 8cm in the tibia safely in one lengthening without compromising or lengthening the Achilles tendon (which leads to permanent
weakness of push-off strength during gait). It is possible, however, to reach 8cm in the tibia safely if it is done one year apart through two independent tibial lengthenings. Therefore, to obtain the maximum of 16cm we need to lengthen the tibia and femur at the same time staggered three weeks apart, 4cm each bone.We then stop and allow the bones to heal. One year later, the femurs and the tibias and fibulas can be cut and
the same nail used to restart the lengthening again. The remaining 4cm in each bone is then obtained. Since 4cm is considered a small lengthening, the risks from lengthening are much lower. This strategy is therefore very safe and minimizes the time of lengthening for each lengthening."
Please point it out to me if this is not in fact the truth - with reasons for why would be appreciated
Reason 2
I want to be in the 50% percentile for male height minimum (176cm). Why? At this height, one logically cannot and does not deserve to have the epithet 'short' no longer, for half the population would be shorter than you, and half would be taller. At this very 'average' height, you open yourself up to being defined by your other characteristics which I see to lie in the other domains of 'economics' (i.e how rich you are), 'social' (interpersonal skills and relationships), 'intellectual' (amount of knowledge you have). Upon reaching this very 'average' height, significant pressure is lifted from the 4th and very important 'aesthetic' domain. This is because society condemns the 'short'.
This is hypothetical, so I don't know if you would agree with me on this or not. But, consider how society would treat a 5'5 man and a 5'7 man, ceteris paribus. Interestingly, I think both would be just as disadvantaged - the 5'7 man wouldn't have much of an advantage over the 5'5 man. Both will be reductively described by the epithet 'short', and we all know to well what society assumes about short people.
Therefore, I hate to admit this, but I would be very disappointed if I never were able to hit that 176cm mark - perhaps I would go as far to say I forever regret taking this excruciatingly painful operation in the first place. (Note: I am 162cm with a 167cm wingspan) Call me greedy, call me crazy even, but I personally am someone who strives to excel in all 4 of the domains I have specified. I, in the future, want to be one of the best limb lengthening surgeons out there. I am completely aware that this ambition, my 'hubris', can very well kill me, destroy my current fully functional existence. The mere thought of being a cripple scares me and it paralyses me with tremendous uncertainty.
How am I paralysed you may ask?
Because of my insecurity with my height I cannot go to university for medical school. I took a gap year after I graduated high school and now it will extend to 2 and I fear this will extend perpetually as I sit in this limbo of "To get the operation or not to get the operation?".  It pains me to think about my fellow peers who are moving on with their lives and become successful.  Also, I can no longer tolerate holding up a facade going around society wearing the hidden 10cm shoelifts that I have been doing for the last few years, something that also means I can never form a close relationship with anyone. Honestly, I would rather die if I were never able to get the operation. So, to the logical man, for my case, there should be no question that I get the operation. But alas, the rub is the knowledge that I only manage to get 7cm out of the operation (for instance), because I wasn't man enough to cop the pain cf. Leechlet, coupled with having a walking gait that is permanantly impaired (which I am assuming is a possibility given how people seem to be reluctant to share videos of their progress with walking let alone running? Or, perhaps I am thinking such because I haven't trawled the forum deeply enough?) What would really help me out is if you guys could link any patient diaries of people who have happily done quadrilateral lengthening for 14-16cm. I would be so much more confident if I saw one as as of now I haven't found any.

There is also one other reason for my uncertainty, albeit a much more short term one. I am Australian and I will be doing Paley's 5th procedure with the renowned (from what I'm seeing on the internet) Australian orthopedic surgeons: Professors Munjed Al Muderis, and Kevin Tetsworth, and Dr Tim O' Carrigan. I've already had my first consultation, but I didn't have many questions prepared, so I'll definitely have another one so that I can ask lots of key questions. As of now, I am currently trying to formulate some questions that will help me gauge the skills of these surgeons by centrering things around Paley's standards. I'm doing this by researching all the complications that can arise from the LL surgery and taking note of what Paley does to counter them, on top of reading a few medical journals on the surgery (because they would have the most reputable info). e.g I know that Paley always does an Illotibial band release so I will ask my surgeons if they are planning on doing it too. I would really appreciate any opinions on my doing the surgery in Australia with these surgeons. If you guys, could post in the comments any techniques that are a must for any good LL surgeon it would really help me out with my research.

Finally, could I also have your opinions on my proportions in this photo of a hypothetical 16cm increase (162-178cm)?
https://imgur.com/a/bNbg9OE
Longer legs than the upper half of the body is aesthetic imo so I don't mind it. Also, note that in my original form, my fingers reach down to the exact middle of my thigh (which is the case for most people). In the final form, the bottom tip of my outsretched finger is 8cm above the centre of my thigh which makes sense and I don't think its too offputting to the eye.

Thank you!!

[Thatguy19]

Man, I'm not an experienced person here. I see the zeal in you. Why aren't you doing it with Paley himself? I mean I would never ever take the risk with someone else when it would come to lengthening 16 cm.

[james696969]

One such diary I've come across: http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=1671.0

[RenaissanceMan]

Thatguy19, for my situation, I would really only do the op either with Paley or with the best possible doctor available in Aus. My parents who are funding the operation wanted to see if Australian doctors were equally as capable because it would be easier recovering in one’s own country. The USD AUD conversion atm is also pretty steep. If for some reason, I don’t end up doing it in Australia, I’ll definitely settle for Paley only.

[Heightmare]

Your proportions don't look too bad to be honest so best of luck to you my man.

Does anyone have any diaries for those that have done double tibial lengthening? I'm intrigued and could afford it in a few years in that case.

[Thatguy19]

No no, you're not getting my point. Nobody in this world is as good as Paley. If you really want to be completely/largely fine after lengthening 14cm, go for Paley or don't do it.
I'm an Indian, so you can understand how exponentially expensive is it for me to afford Dr Paley, but if I ever though of doing 14cm quadrilateral, I would work hard and safe for Paley.

[Heightmare]

Are there even any Australian doctors that specialise in this surgery? Many of the most developed Western countries seem to be against this surgery for some reason.

[RenaissanceMan]

Are there even any Australian doctors that specialise in this surgery? Many of the most developed Western countries seem to be against this surgery for some reason.

The Australian doctors I’ve listed, to my knowledge, definitely have the specialisation to do the LL because they’ve done many cases of LL who have “leg length discrepancy”, which uses the same technique that characterises the cosmetic surgery we are after- in technical terms, I’m pretty sure the surgery we want is a “dodgy” use of what is formally known as “limb reconstruction”. For instance, form my last consultation, Dr Tetsworth said that he has performed hundreds of arm lengthenings.
But, yes, what worries me a bit is the fact that there is no chance Australian doctors could have much experience as Paley with “cosmetic limb lengthening” for people with fully functional normal bodies. That is why, in my next consultation, I definitely will ask the surgeons about any key distinctions between limb lengthening methods for people who have one leg longer than the other vrs for people who function normally and just want the surgery for cosmetic reasons. I will also ask how arm lengthening experience could help a surgeon with performing a Leg lengthening surgery, because they may be similar but they are definitely not the same.

I agree with your point about how many developed western countries find it controversial. One of the doctors I met told me how Australia is very conservative compared to America about stature lengthening.

[killdeps]

I wasn't aware that these 3 doctors even considered CLL. Did they specifically mention that they would be willing to do CLL when you had your consultation with them or did you have to go about convincing them as a one off case?

As an Aussie myself it'd be a godsend if I could have it done by Dr carrigan right by home, especially since internal methods are approved here vs Dr Solomin (my other option)

[RenaissanceMan]

I wasn't aware that these 3 doctors even considered CLL. Did they specifically mention that they would be willing to do CLL when you had your consultation with them or did you have to go about convincing them as a one off case?

As an Aussie myself it'd be a godsend if I could have it done by Dr carrigan right by home, especially since internal methods are approved here vs Dr Solomin (my other option)

Hey killdeps, I had to go about convincing them as a one off case. When I called up the centre at first I was told that they don’t offer lengthening for cosmetic purposes, hence you don’t see it mentioned on their website. Feel free to pm me if you want to have more detail, because I don’t really want to say anything that will expose my identity.