Which doctor?
One guy had the operation with this doctor and had a problem where he couldn’t bend his knee to an acceptable level but the doctor clearly says on his website that this can happen and patients must do physical therapy. Another guy had this similar issue with this same doctor but he stayed and did psysical therapy and said in his diary he was amazed at what the the physical therapist suggested and that it worked and he could bend his knee after doing alll he was instructed to do.
The other guy left after lengthening and expected things to just be great. Went back to his country so could not do the very specific physical therapy advised by this doctor. Then instead of going back to do the other leg, he just stayed in his own country and blamed the doctor for everything. In the end he was able to bend his knee as normal but it took much much longer, I feel he made the mistake of prioritising advice he received on the forum from another guy who was angry with this doctor than by advice given by the actual doctor who asked him to go back to him and to follow all instructions, the doctor didn’t turn his back on him at all.
Bearing in mind the other guy for whom things went well, clearly stated that the physical therapy he received was very intensive and the therapist tried different things to see what would work. How could the guy who went back to his country expect to get this same result if he was not near the physical therapist?? I’m sorry but it seems unrealistic to me to do this.
He then mentioned that his knees were at diffefent levels, but of course they would be, he did cross lateral and with that type of surgery you need to be fully committed and cooperative. That is precisely what it does, it leaves your knees at different levels, you have to restore movement of the the first knee before having the second operation to try to bring the knees back to the same level . You have to do the second operation but he never went back for the second even though he said he could cope with the pain a second time. He then said one leg was left longer than the other but he also stated that he had this problem before he started the surgery, he himself stated his legs were different lengths to start with. So if it was an existing issue it seems this would have likely been resolved with the second operation. Instead of staying and following the doctors orders doing the correct therapy to restore knee movement, he flew back to his country, didn’t follow the physical therapy and then couldn’t bend his knee for ages, then couldn’t fly back to have the psysical therapy or the second operation. Then claimed his family doctor told him not to go back to have the second operation. But his family doctor with all due respect is not a limb lengthening surgeon.
He was not fully cooperative. If you’re going abroad to do cross lateral limb lengthening you must surely make the full commitment no?? You don’t go back half way through. It’s not clear why he went back to his country so soon but I think it’s because he was feeling homesick and wanted to save money on accommodation costs but to me these are not good enough reasons to do this. You either make a full commitment or don’t have this surgery. Only in very exceptional cases should you leave like this.
The Kurgan centre in Russia gives same advice. You need to take physical therapy seriously. They too get complications. For example if a bone snaps after you remove the frame it does not mean it’s the doctor’s fault. Having done my research this has happened here in the U.K. with good doctors. A bone snapping I’ve read is a possible risk and it means you have to wear the frame again.
I feel one doctor has been blacklisted a bit unfairly. That’s not say he’s the best or never makes mistakes but I don’t feel he’s as bad as he’s made out to be. For example I would feel more worried about having this operation in Turkey in relation to safety and competence and it’s more expensive there than with this doctor. I feel more expensive does not always mean better.
I received a personal message here from someone in Turkey trying to sell this surgery to me and it has put me off Turkey.
I then saw people saying Armenia is no good because they offer the double cut method but the Kurgan centre in Russia offers this same method. They do loads of these operations. Although to keep it safer I have no intention of doing double cut method at all.
I have not yet seen any very serious complications from Armenia. Not really serious. I trust that place more than Turkey or that doctor in France.
So I’m feeling confused right now about all this.