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[Guts]

Hi guys.
Today I am starting to describe my experience with Dr Pili.
First of all, I live in Italy and I've been thinking about getting this surgery done for the last 3 years.
I Finally decided to do it after visiting with doctor Pili in November.
I had my surgery in date 31 January, in Lecco, and I started the distraction phase February 14th, lengthening 3 times a day for a total of 0.75 mm a day.
My starting height will probably freak you out: before surgery I was 184. 5 cm in the morning, about 183 before bed, so basically a solid 6 foot guy.
I know it sounds crazy, but I was doing male modeling during the last 5 years, and I couldn't pass many important castings due to the restrictive 6'1 foot(186) plus height requirement.
This made me obsess about the topic(I have always been sensitive to height), and after many hesitations, I finally did it.
On this day, I already lengthened 1.5 cms, and up to now the experience has been very positive.
Doctor Pili is very professial, kind and disposable, and so is all his equipe.
Surgery went very well, and the day after I could already walk with the aid of crutches.
I took painkillers for 5 days after surgery( one pill of coefferalgan a day).
The second day I Ieft the hospital and I am currently staying in a hotel in Lecco.
I gradually increased the walking distance from day to day, and now I am walking for about an hour a day.
I am doing  physio sessions twice a week( it will probably increase to three after 4-5 cms) and doing exercises on my own.
Pain up to now was bearable without painkillers , pin areas would burn a little some times during the course of the day, and tibial muscles would hurt after a long walk, but nothing to worry about.
I had my first x rays after OP in 27 February, and doctor referred to them as very positive, callus is already forming.
My flexibility is still quite good.
My goal is to reach 6 cms of lengthening, without having to do ATL.
Doctor Pili told me, around 80% of patients going beyond  5 cms did ATL but those who practiced a lot of physio, during and after the distraction phase, managed to avoid it, but then again, it really depends on the individual.
I need to clean, disinfect pin sites  and replace sterile gauzes every 3 or 4 days.
The surgery cost a total of 20k, and visits with the doctor happen every month in Lecco.
If you wish to ask me anything about the surgery or therapy, feel free to do so.
I know It's quite insane to do such an invasive op for a 6' guy, but please, go easy with insults and try to make constructive criticism.
I will be able to update or respond during some hours in the morning or in late night.
I lengthen at 7.30 am, 3.30 and 11.30 pm, and before every lengthening, I do 40 minutes of extension exercises, passed by my physio and 2 prescribed by the doctor himself.
 Let me know what you think about it.

[exagerate]

Hi Guts
All the best for your adventure.
Please keep as updated on your journey.
The HEF looks like a great method as you say in your first post but, why did you chose this method over internal nails? Do you know if Dr Pili is doing also nails?
Did you really took just a couple of pills??
Why are you staying in Lecco?
Keep strong

[Guts]

Hi exagerate
Yes, the HEF is a great method and  I chose it over nails on the advice of the doctor himself.
He prefers using this method(and Catagni before him), especially on the Tibias, because it gives great support to the bone and he can keep it in check more easily, in case something is going wrong he can make immediate corrections.
But yeah, I think he does nails too, the cost being obviously different.
About the pills, yes, after moving out of the hospital (they will make you stay the day after) I only took a pill of coefferalgan a day for less than a week. The pain, after the first 1-2 weeks should be tolerable without using painkillers.
Anyway, the day of the operation and the day after, in the hospital(GB Mangioni hospital) the gave me stronger painkillers (they contained morphine).
I am staying in Lecco for various reasons: I didn't tell my parents(imagine the scenario of telling my parents I Broke my legs to get taller, being already 6 foot) so I can't stay with them.
I didn't tell my friends either, told them I went to Erasmus( I study chemical engineering in Veneto, so that sounds plausible).
Also, the hotel I'm staying is only 600 m from the clinic(where I will get my x rays every month) and 800 from the doctor's office, so I can get there even walking.
One of the more trusted physotherapysts of the doctor work in this area,  I am doing 3 visits a week and I am getting on very well with him.
Since I'm alone in this adventure, staying closer to the doctor and his team makes me feel safer.

[Guts]

Hi guys, I want to give you an update about my experience.
Just yesterday I reached 5 cms of lengthening.
I'm starting to feel a considerable tension on the Achilles tendons, but I can still walk normally and my dorsiflexion is still good.
Occasionally, I'm feeling some pain on the ankles, especially in the right leg, which is still quite swollen compared to the left.
The pin sites started to bleed a little more in this last month, I still have to medicate and change gauzes every 3 4 days.
Unfortunately, because of covid19, the hotel where I was staying  closed, and I had to move from Lecco to Milan, in a residence, and because of the lock down, I can't meet with my physiotherapist any longer.
I'm still doing my exercises 5 times a day, and every session lasts 30-40 minutes.
Since the lengthening began, I started having some trouble sleeping. The hassles in my legs are bearable, but they tend to keep me awake.I manage to sleep 4-4.5 hours  during night , sometimes in order to sleep more I  take a pill of coefferalgan.
In 2 days, I will get an X-ray and see how things are going.
I hope I can reach 6 cms without ACL.

[sklake]

Ciao Guts,

I was wondering how things are going. I'm considering having surgery with Pili too, I'm italian like you (33 yo) and I live in Milan.
I would be more than happy to hear from you and even meet you if possibile. I can give you my e-mail or mobile to get in contact.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon

[Guts]

Hi guys!!!!
Sorry for not having written in such a long time.
On 28 August I finally had my removal surgery!!!!!
For a total of 6.8 cms It took almost 7 months.
Surgeon said my bone regeneration was quite fast, and I could have done the surgery even a couple of weeks. before.
Despite the fast regeneration, I had a little problem during the fifth month:
A pin in my right leg, probably due to excessive effort, went crooked (let's say I was too enthusiastic about being able to walk without crutches so I made a mistake).
This caused the new callus to divert slightly.
The doctor, however, immediately fixed it and the callus went straight again.
A week later I made a radiography and the 2 bones were symmetrical  in length and development.
Despite the problem being solved, the pin remained crooked, so I was still having pain and  had to limit my movements to prevent damage.
The final month, I was able to walk again, but still feeling pain in my right leg whenever I put my weight on It.
After I removed the fixators, the pain in my right leg  has finally disappeared.
Now I am able to walk almost normally( I still have the habit of slightly spreading my legs, but I'm working on it).
I can walk upstairs pretty easily.
Now I have a layer of gauzes in each leg, covered by a resin brace. I will get rid of them in 3 weeks, then I will have my final medical examination.
All things considered, my experience was very  positive.
I am quickly regaining functionality in my legs.
I will try to keep you updated on my recovery of functional abilities and healing process in the following months.
If you have any questions, please ask me in this thread.

[NotSoBigBadBruin]

Congrats! What’s your final height now?

[Arrogance]

External tibia is a good choice. Good old Ilizarov. Cheap and reliable. And from what I'm seeing pain is not so bad. Just a question though. Do you think it's possible to manage the pain without opioids? Just Ibuprofen and other NDAIS?

[Hagane]

External tibia is a good choice. Good old Ilizarov. Cheap and reliable. And from what I'm seeing pain is not so bad. Just a question though. Do you think it's possible to manage the pain without opioids? Just Ibuprofen and other NDAIS?

i would avoid nsaids due to delayed bone healing
and stick with acetaminophen/paracetamol

[infinity&beyond]

Nice man can you post a vid or pic? What did you tell family and friends? Do u have Instagram?