After learning so much from everyone on this forum, I thought I should give back by starting a dairy with Dr Betz. I will give a full analysis of my motivations, why I chose Dr Betz and Betzbone, as well as a cost breakdown. I will also try to post daily/weekly updates and answer any questions curious lurkers may have.
Motivation
1) Dating in the West is difficult when the average adult male is 176cm+. This average can reach 183cm in northern European countries. Women have anecdotally told me that they tend to judge height over appearance and even money.
2) COVID and working from home has given a great excuse to disappear from society for 4 months without suffering economic consequences.
Why Dr Betz
1) Over 3000 surgeries. The most experienced doctor in Europe.
2) Researcher and publisher. Inventor of Betzbone and co-inventor of Fitbone. This adds to his level of expertise.
3) Younger doctors like Giotikas is also a great value alternative. He uses Stryde and is very well educated. I likely would have went with Giotikas had it not been for the Stryde recall.
Why Betzbone
1) Availability. Stryde has been recalled due to corrosion. Precise 2.2 has halted shipping in the EU after losing its CE Mark. The only well-known nails available in Europe are Betzbone and Guichet (same mechanism). There are other less known partial-weight bearing nails available in Turkey and other regions that have stockpiled Precise.
2) Allows for up to 12.3cm in lengthening versus 8cm for Stryde. Although I will likely only lengthen 10cm, this allowance is useful for those who wish to squeeze out every last mm. It is less meaningful to those who do not want to lengthen past 8cm for personal or safety reasons.
3) Full-weightbearing. After Stryde, Betzbone is the only frequently used weight-bearing nail on the market. There seems to be talk of Betzbone snapping in the past. Since then, the nail has been re-designed and it has a much longer track record than Stryde. I've taken the decision to go with Betz given his wealth of surgical and nail design expertise which should result in a lower relative (perhaps not absolute) complication rate, over a less experienced surgeon with lower absolute complication rate.
4) The corrosion issue in Stryde is unlikely going to be fixed as long as it contains a sealed iron compartment. This is not changeable as only ferronous metals respond to the magnetic coil in the external lengthening devise. This is exacerbated in weight-bearing nails as they go through much more and frequent stress, resulting in more influx of bodily fluids into the sealed joints of the nail. Betzbone is cobalt chrome which does not corrode. Personally, I don't see any problems with minor corrosion, but I wasn't going to wait 8 months just to get on a waitlist for Stryde.
Cost
1) Dr Betz costs €54179.69. This includes consultation, X-rays, measurements, nails, the operation, followed by a 14-day hospital stay with physio, food and pain medication. This may be cost-effective compared to Paley in US or Donghoon in Korea.
2) This does not include any post-hospitalization (outpatient) physio, x-rays, medication, and accomodation. This does not matter as much to me as I will be returning to the UK for my rehab, where my private insurance will cover physio and x-rays. NHS will offer discounted medication. And I will be living at my own flat.
3) Please also consider additional costs such as hospital Covid tests, Airbnb, food, train, and flight which added an additional €1500 for a 4-night pre-op stay. The removal procedure in 1.5 years time is €7200.
4) Note that Dr Giotikas from Athens charges €47445 for the whole package and uses Stryde. His package also includes outpatient physiotherapy and medication during lengthening. If you do not have health insurance, and believe in Stryde, definitely consider him. His prices are likely more competitive due to Greece's proximity to Turkey where Dr. Buldu is offering Precise 2 packages for €35000 versus Dr. Giotikas' €42400.
Personal Stats
Pre-op Height: 171cm
Post-op Goal: 181cm
Age: 29
Weight: 67kg
Ethnicity: East Asian
Location: UK
Fitness: Defined arms and waist. Been lifting 3 times a week for the past 5 years
Flexibility: Average, but has been making progress over the past 4 months by incorporating hip flexor, quadriceps, and hamstring stretching into my daily routine. It has also been recommended to stand whenever possible (ie. working on a standing desk) to train the muscles.
Dairy
Day 0: After arriving in Frankfurt, I took a personal tour of the city and sat on a 2.5 hour train ride to Sankt Ingbert. It's a small town, and when I arrived I was unpleasantly surprised by the crudeness of the hospital and consultation office. The fascilities were basic. I had to pay €182 for a PCR test out of pocket. The nurses and even the anesthesiologist were not proficient in English, so I had to use Google Translate on many instances. Dr Betz said it didn't make much of a difference to him whether I used regional or general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist however recommended general anesthesia, as regional may be inadequate and urethra connections may have to be made. Finally, the hospital visit was disorganized. I had to find my own way to the X-ray room (Röntgen). After that my handler Daniela became very helpful in guiding me to the office where my measurements were taken. I enjoyed a 3-hour consultation with Dr Betz. He knew the answer to every single question I had.
My surgery is tomorrow. I'll try to write an update if I'm conscious. Wish me luck!
Author
Topic: Bilateral Femur Lengthening Dairy: May 2021 with Dr Betz and Betzbone (Read 32743 times)