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[MaxX]

Hey everyone,

I’m 43, weigh around 142 lbs, and stand at 5’4.5”. For as long as I can remember, my height has been a source of mockery and mistreatment. It’s been a lifelong struggle being overlooked, ignored, or outright humiliated. But I’m not here looking for sympathy here.. I’m ready to take control of my life and make a change for the better.

I’ve saved over $110k specifically for limb lengthening surgery (LL). I’ve never undergone surgery before, and honestly, I get major anxiety from hospitals, doctors, and needles. But at this point, for any chance of height gain, I’m willing to face those fears head-on.

After doing some research, I’m torn between having the procedure in the USA or overseas (Turkey, specifically). I’d love to get advice from anyone who’s been through this or has insight. Here’s where I’m at:

Overseas (Turkey):

- Clinics seem more affordable overall.
- Many offer extended aftercare—up to 3-4 months (some even longer for extra fees), which is incredibly important for me since I don’t have close family or friends nearby to support me in the US.
- My job is fully remote, so I can work as long as I have my laptop and internet. This flexibility makes it easier to stay close to the clinic for as long as necessary during recovery.
- One clinic I found even provides up to 9 months of close support (with extra charges), which is still well within my budget.

USA:
- $110k might not be enough for the level of care I need. From what I’ve seen, many clinics in the US discharge patients after just a couple of weeks.
- I’m concerned about the lack of extended aftercare here. It seems like I’d have to manage most of my recovery on my own, which feels overwhelming given the complexity of LL surgery.

==
I’ve read some posts here about Turkey being a great option for LL, but I’ve also seen some users describe it as a "butcher shop," which has me concerned (anxiety). On the other hand, I feel like my budget might not get me what I need in the US, especially with limited aftercare... since I don't have health insurance and paying in cash for PT/Rehab might be very costly?

I’d love your input on:

- Turkey vs. the USA for LL surgery, what’s the better option for someone in my situation?
- Any clinics (in either country) you’d recommend that offer good aftercare and support for a full recovery?
- Any advice for someone going through LL surgery for the first time—what should I prepare for?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any advice you can share. It means a lot!

Love you all and best wishes for anyone doing LL

[Chocolatechunk]

Hey there! I haven’t personally undergone the surgery, but have been investigating for the past 11 months for an optimal route financially and in terms of safety.
I think you should throw any and all Turkish clinics out of the window (LiveLifeTaller/Yuksel Yurttas’ clinics). They’re not receptive at all to the needs of their patients for reasons beyond me.
If you want actual statistics I would go on Brianthesasquatch’s instagram. He compiled a table of the patients he went to LLT with and how many of them had complications and it was a significant number. He himself had to have additional procedures because of an a very preventable infection that he tried to bring to the attention of the doctor and was promptly ignored.

HOWEVER, I do think that in the U.S., it’s definitely overpriced. Dr. Assayag in Baltimore offers more reasonable quotes, but you’re still kind of on your own for recovery. Albeit if you can afford it, I would go to him or Paley.

If you want very good quality treatment for an affordable price, I would without a doubt go with Birkholtz in South Africa or Dr. Parihar in India. I’ve talked with Dr. Birkholtz’s patients through d and they all have given glowing reviews. His package includes everything you could need. They both take their reputation very seriously so they may sometimes even flat out refuse to operate on certain patients.

You can check their websites for specific prices, but also keep in mind that any nail that drops in the U.S. tends to drop in other countries several years later. So factor the difference in recovery times in opportunity costs.

Hope this helps

[luckyverma2000]

Me too for affordable solution.

tibia - 6cm from Dr.Parihar in India
and
Femur precise - 8cm from Dr. Birkholtz in South Africa

Dont go to turkey, they are just money minded.
you will become handicapped and also language barrier. You need to hire a translator to ask something.

[MaxX]

Thanks for the detailed input, really appreciate it! I hadn’t looked into South Africa or India much before, but unfortunately, both options aren’t possible for me for various reasons.

The heads-up about Turkish clinics and Brianthesasquatch’s stats is super helpful—I’ll definitely look into that. Dr. Assayag and Paley seem like solid choices in the U.S., but the cost and lack of extended aftercare are big concerns for me.

This was super helpful.. thanks again for sharing your research... when you are planning urs?

[Chocolatechunk]

I plan on doing this 8-9 years from now. I really want to set myself up to the point where taking a leave for 4-6 doesn’t hurt me financially too much. Some people think this timeframe is overkill, but I think it’s reasonable. Honestly I wish someone would help me plan out the financials a bit better, but when I ask people laugh at the idea of doing a 9 year plan.

[MaxX]

Nine years truly feels like a long time, brother. Are you trying to save enough money for the surgery, or is there another reason you’re waiting?

Four to six months can feel like a lot, but depending on your profession, you might be able to find an online job during that time. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to help you explore some opportunities for online work.

[Activatedxx]

I copied from another I replied too that was about the same question

In recent times, going overseas isn’t worth it anymore financially. It used to cost 17-18k USD to do this surgery in Turkey with externals  when I did it (a world of suffering). Now it’s like 40k USD to do it in Turkey with externals

This is not a biased opinion because I am a patient, it is just from a monetary point of view. All surgeons that offer LL in the USA are used to treating severe breaks and injuries, so starting with non damaged legs is easy to them. It doesn’t really matter what US doctor you pick, but I refer everyone to Assayag because 1. The HP house (non-profit hotel for his patients) is 15$ a day to stay at, and it’s a decent living space with a suite in the room and small kitchen to order takeout or meal preps 2. You are across the street from Assayag and Physical therapy, so everyone just rides there electric wheelchair there and PT is insurance covered 3. You save on travel and plane tickets and get to stay in USA

So if you’re going to spend 50k overseas you might as well just do it with Assayag for slightly more in the USA and be in the best hands.
If you’re trying to do externals overseas, the only doctor I would personally trust is parihar for Tibias. However if you have some minor alignment issue, schedule a consult with Assayag and see if he can discount. This is what happened in my case, when I did my tibias I had minor bow legs and was able to get my codes covered by insurance

If you’re from the USA and planning to do purely internals, you won’t save much going overseas if you factor in tickets and housing and PT.

[Barbaric]

I totally get where you’re coming from. I’m in a similar boat, and I’ve been navigating the same tough decision for quite a while. Like you, I’ve faced a lot of struggles around my height, and after years of feeling overlooked and undervalued, I decided it was time to take control of my life too. First off, kudos to you for saving up and taking this step it’s not easy to face fears head-on, but it’s worth it for the future you want.

I was initially planning to go with the LON method because it seemed more affordable and had shorter waiting times. But after diving deeper and seeing firsthand accounts (like Brian’s stories on Instagram), i realized just how risky it can be, especially when it comes to infections. LON is an older method and, while effective for some, it leaves patients more vulnerable due to the open pin sites. That scared me enough to abandon the idea altogether.

Now, ive decided to go with Precice because it’s fully internal, meaning no external fixators or open pin sites. That significantly reduces the risk of infection, and honestly, the advanced tech and better overall safety of Precice give me a lot more peace of mind. The only downside is the wait time i won’t be able to get my surgery until March because it seems Turkey also affected by nail shortage, but I’d rather wait and go with something safer than rush into a decision i might regret.

[badgerbrocktree]

The only downside is the wait time i won’t be able to get my surgery until March because it seems Turkey also affected by nail shortage, but I’d rather wait and go with something safer than rush into a decision i might regret.

Please be insanely careful if choosing a Turkish doctor. I know people have said this one thousand times, but I'll be the one thousand and first voice to say it. Don't pay attention to marketing, the best doctors tend to have the least amount of marketing from what I've seen (compare Birkholtz videos to LLT videos for example).

[Barbaric]

Please be insanely careful if choosing a Turkish doctor. I know people have said this one thousand times, but I'll be the one thousand and first voice to say it. Don't pay attention to marketing, the best doctors tend to have the least amount of marketing from what I've seen (compare Birkholtz videos to LLT videos for example).

LLT?? Hell no!!! I love my legs. I just want them to be a little longer. Yeah you are right that is why I chose Dr. Fatih. He just posts x-rays and before and after photos on Instagram time to time. He do not do heavy false marketing like others do to get patients and he do not seem to have made any fk ups so far. Also the surgery fees were reasonable, soooo yeah..

[GrowGrow123]

I would avoid Turkey period. But, if you must do Turkey, really do your research and avoid the well known clinics that are known to be butcher shops like Live Life Taller. From what I've read on this forum, AFA seems good.