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[AnotherLLer]

Hello,

I'm considering doing external tibia without LON/LATN for at least 6.5 cm of lengthening. My budget is limited so my only options are either go with Kulesh or Bagirov route.

To me, apart from height gain, post lengthening bone alignment is very important for final aesthetic results. I want to go to the beach and pool with confidence showing off my legs.

My concerns regarding Bagirov is that he uses modified Ilizarov frames that are compact in size but looks less sturdy and also he doesn't look after his patients during the distraction phase so if I mess up the alignment of tibia/fibula bones during the lengthening I might end up having bent or unequal legs which is unacceptable to me.

As far as I know Kulesh uses traditional Ilizarov frames and after the distraction phase he applies hexapod like device to accurately correct any misalignment made during the lengthening phase. Also, he seems to be more responsive and helpful for his patients as long as they remain in the city he operates in.

I could save more money in about 5 years from now in order to go and get it done in Greece or Italy but I can't bear my short stature any longer as I'm 29 years old already.

Bagirov quoted me exactly half the costs for pure external compared with what Kulesh charges. I can get it done in about a year with him but I might need another year of savings in order to get it done with Kulesh.

My questions is:

Should I get it done with Bagirov and lengthen in Baku? His price is very appealing to me because if I work harder and save the money aggressively, I can get it done in less than a year. Also, staying in Baku is relatively cheaper compared to staying in St. Petersburg.

If I go with Kulesh, not only will it cost me double for the surgery alone, but also living in St. Petersburg for about 4 months will cost me double too. Also, Russia seems relatively unsafe because of war thing going on to this date.

Given all these circumstances, what do you suggest is the most appropriate decision for me?

Thanks.

[Body Builder]

Bagirov can't do traditional Ilizarov? He is an experienced doctor, I am sure he will. If you do pure externals with an hexapod Ilizarov with an experienced doctor, you are probably gonna be well, if you lengthen in less than 0.75mm per day as an average and not more than 6.5 cm.

[AnotherLLer]

Bagirov uses half Ilizarov frames, i.e. it's not fully circular and is rather compact. It's only advantage is that they can be worn more or less comfortably for many months.

Although Bagirov doesn't use hexapod device, his frames are capable of correcting misaligned bones as he mostly specializes in deformity corrections.

I want no less than 6 cm, more preferably 7 cm as my shins are very short which make me look even shorter than I really am.

Highest I measure in the morning is 167.5 cm or so and the lowest is 164.5 if doing heavy workouts and not drinking enough water so I'm solid 165 at the end of the day which is very short.

When I wear 2 inch boots I feel much taller so I can only imagine what 2.5 inches of additional height can bring me.

My tibia is about 35 cm long so 7 cm is exactly 20% of the original length of the bone. I know it's very hard to push above 6 cm but almost 3 inches of lengthening will make boost my confidence a lot.

I feel very uncomfortable when I'm walking barefoot because I feel really short then. I never go to the beach or pool due to that reason. I wan't to get rid of this inadequacy as soon as possible in order feel better in every situation and live comfortably.

I thought about this procedure a lot throughout the past years but I never had he funds to do it. At some point I said to myself that I don't need this crap in my life and I can live normally the way I am but I face the difficulties shortness brings to a man all the time nevertheless. I would never do this surgery if it was all in my head.

I'm relatively good looking, fit, full head of hear, look 5 years younger than I am and dress well. I'm very manly in all aspects except I lack 2-3 inches in stature which makes my life almost pointless due to how many times I faced difficulties due to that objective problem.

Even now I feel suicidal but I'd rather grind the money 16 hours a day and get the surgery done rather than surrender and never try at all. This thought process is what makes me positive to stay on track and get the required money to do this crap and see the changes first before concluding that I have some other flaw rather than lack of height (which I highly doubt is the case because 165 cm is objectively a huge disadvantage for a man and trumps some minor flaws a man might have).

I don't want to delay the surgery till my mid 30s. I'm 29 now so if I get it at 31 I will still hugely benefit from it despite the 1-1.5 years of downtime it requires in order to get back to life more or less safely.

I think at my height every 2 cm matters hugely till 173 night height so I need at least 7 cm to feel confident, although I will be content with 170 cm too. With 5 cm elevator shoes which is decent amount and doesn't look ridiculous, I'll stand at 175 or 177 depending if I lengtheng 5 or 7 cm which is sufficient in order not to appear shortish.

In the future I might also lengthen my femurs for 2-3 inches if I get the required money but internal femurs cost 10 times more so it's out of question for me till 10 years or more. At this point of my life I need to get 2-3 inches of height relatively cheap and Bagirov seems to be the only realistic option due to cheap price.

The thing is that for 7 cm lengthening I will need at least 5 months of distraction which is a very long process and adds to expenses if I stay in a foreign country. I live close to Azerbaijan so it won't be a problem for me to move there if something goes wrong.

Body Builder, what do you suggest me in my situation? You were in the same boat as me before the surgery and you always state that those 3 inches changed your life dramatically. I'm mentally ready to undergo this surgery because my soul is crying inside me from all the pain it gets due to this height problem. No amount of physical pain matches the pain I'm all the time due to misery.

[sxxa]

Hi. How much does these doctors charge?? For externals??

[Body Builder]

If Bagirov's device can fix malunions then I see no reason to not go for it and go to Kulesh or come to an EU country in 5 years.
Yes the sooner you'll do LL the longer you'll live your life with a good height.
I haven't read many diaries about Bagirov but I remember him from the old forum, he is an experienced doctor. Speak with some of his patients if you can first amd if you feel ok with him, go for it.
Just listen to my words, lengthen at a slow amount (no more than 0.75mm per day), walk as much as you can if these frames are weight bearing and go over 6.5 cm only if your ankle rom is still ok. And never ever go more than 7cm. And you will be fine.

[AnotherLLer]

To sxxa:

He charges more in Moscow and less in Baku as far as I know. Also, prices for locals are much less compared to what they charge international patients.

Body Builder:

I've seen his results on his Instagram account and they look fine. Some of his patients even lengthened 8, 9 or even 11 cm in tibia which is huge of course. I'm ok with 6.5-7.0 cm range if everything goes well.

I'm mostly afraid of no aftercare, especially when I have to lengthen in my home country alone. Of course if something goes wrong I can go there the next morning but still, lengthening outside the reach of your doctor is a bit risky business, especially above 5 cm.

I can manage superficial infections and other minor problems on my own though. But I'm mostly afraid of pin bending or breakage which might happen anytime during the lengthening process.

But the most important thing is that before consolidation I go to the clinic and make adjustments of the lengthened bones in order for them to fuse in a properly aligned position as to avoid knock or bent legs.

They quoted me very attractive price due to me being from post soviet country. For that price they sell top config MacBook Pro models here where I live. )) If I grind very hard I can get the money even in 6 months but I need to save twice about that in order to have spare money for things like X-rays, meds, physiotherapist, etc. so it's very much doable in a one year time frame to me.

I don't want to live at this height any more years, it makes me depressed when I'm one of the shortest man everywhere I go. ((