Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Viep on June 25, 2017, 02:20:18 PM
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Hello everybody, today I decide to write one important thing in my life.
My starting height is just only : 5'4 and I want to have more 8 cm. In Vietnam is really hard to find a good doctor to trust them. Day by day, I search a lot of information about this and I find a dairy of Asiann 123. I choose Dr. Thuy for my surgery. When I go to hospital I heard that Dr. Thuy has retired already then just only Dr. Quynh can do my surgery. Of course, Im really scare when Dr. Quynh do. But until now, I do not have any problems Dr. Quynh did well. All of price I pay for this surgery is 12.600 USD including surgery, 4 months stay, foods and caring and like basically everything so I dont need anyone to go with me.
Dr. Quynh uses 1 small tube to deliver pain killer directly to my spinal, it makes me feel better and it does not hurt likes I think. Although the first few days did hurt a lot. But I got a lot of sleep so it went pass quickly. I am at 3 weeks now with no pain
I just wanna share my story to everyone who wants to have limb lengtening surgery including Vietnamese or foreigners. I need to share this feeling because it is a hard time ever guys. I will update every week or every other week depend on my mood and I will update photo as well. Please stick with me till the end.
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Great to hear to your story.
Can you please post some pictures of your accommodation and the frames that you have on your legs? thanks.
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Good luck :)
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Hello my friend and good luck with your LL.
Tell us a little more about the method you used (external only, lon etc) and listen to your body because 8cm in tibias is too much and you could end up with massive bf if your body can't handle it.
So stay focused and be careful to go till the end as smooth as it gets.
Keep strong!
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Moved to Patient's Experiences.
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Best of luck dude. I will follow.
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Great to hear to your story.
Can you please post some pictures of your accommodation and the frames that you have on your legs? thanks.
here are the photos.
http://imgur.com/a/yEETN
http://imgur.com/a/S1U48
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Good luck :)
Thank you ;)
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Hello my friend and good luck with your LL.
Tell us a little more about the method you used (external only, lon etc) and listen to your body because 8cm in tibias is too much and you could end up with massive bf if your body can't handle it.
So stay focused and be careful to go till the end as smooth as it gets.
Keep strong!
I did L.ON. well I want 8cm but I will stop if something wrong happen. Thank you
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Best of luck dude. I will follow.
Thank you very much. But actually I'm a girl lollll
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Wow but 5'4 is a good height for women unless you plan on becoming a model. Good luck in your journey, and I also would recommend lengthening a little less, 6 cm tops. It's very good you decided on externals and not pure internal because as you are Asian and female your consolidation may be slower than Caucasians.
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A 5.4 girl in Vietnam wants to do LL. And she wants to do more than 8cm in tibias!
In what world do we live after all?
Anyway, good luck from me. You'll need it.
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Good luck on your journey. I would hope that you reconsider the amount of lengthening on your tibiae though, as Bodybuilder said.
Not all doctors agree on the amount, but my own was very insistant that going above 6 cm of tibia lengthening will cause some degree of permanent damage beyond what having the surgery in the first place will cause. That is because your muscles stretch up to a point, but greater than that point they will lose their rubber-band like elasticity and become more like a rope.
Looking at post-op reports from people who did tibia lengthening already and did above 6 cm, most of them regret it because they had muscle tightness that would not go away and required Achilles tendon lengthening, or they became self-conscious about how long their shins were in comparison to their thighs. Lengthening too much on your tibiae will also make your walking feel funny and make running more difficult.
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here are the photos.
http://imgur.com/a/yEETN
http://imgur.com/a/S1U48
Are those full ilizarov frames?
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Don't do more than 6 cm in tibias.
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Do not go over 5cm otherwise you are just asking for complications. Good luck.
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Is there any difference in recovery factors depending on gender?
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Is there any difference in recovery factors depending on gender?
Women's bone healing is slower, bone density is lower and especially after menopause, they are prone to fractures
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Wow but 5'4 is a good height for women unless you plan on becoming a model. Good luck in your journey, and I also would recommend lengthening a little less, 6 cm tops. It's very good you decided on externals and not pure internal because as you are Asian and female your consolidation may be slower than Caucasians.
So sorry about that but I have a mistake my height is 154cm, I thought 5'4 and 154cm are the same thing. I wanna have 8cm, this is my dream. If I have problems, I will stop it. Dr tells me If I want more than 6cm, I will have tendon release sủgery. However, I can get 8cm I accept that. Because I dont wanna run or play sport, I just want to walk like a normal person and more 8cm.
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Good luck on your journey. I would hope that you reconsider the amount of lengthening on your tibiae though, as Bodybuilder said.
Not all doctors agree on the amount, but my own was very insistant that going above 6 cm of tibia lengthening will cause some degree of permanent damage beyond what having the surgery in the first place will cause. That is because your muscles stretch up to a point, but greater than that point they will lose their rubber-band like elasticity and become more like a rope.
Looking at post-op reports from people who did tibia lengthening already and did above 6 cm, most of them regret it because they had muscle tightness that would not go away and required Achilles tendon lengthening, or they became self-conscious about how long their shins were in comparison to their thighs. Lengthening too much on your tibiae will also make your walking feel funny and make running more difficult.
So sorry about that but I have a mistake my height is 154cm, I thought 5'4 and 154cm are the same thing. I wanna have 8cm, this is my dream. If I have problems, I will stop it. Dr tells me If I want more than 6cm, I will have tendon release sủgery. However, I can get 8cm I accept that. Because I dont wanna run or play sport, I just want to walk like a normal person and more 8cm.
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A 5.4 girl in Vietnam wants to do LL. And she wants to do more than 8cm in tibias!
In what world do we live after all?
Anyway, good luck from me. You'll need it.
Tks, i have a mistake. I thought 154cm and 5'4 are the same thing. Im actually 154cm hehe
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Are those full ilizarov frames?
nope, only half frames
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Don't do more than 6 cm in tibias.
thank you but if I have trouble i will stop
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Do not go over 5cm otherwise you are just asking for complications. Good luck.
thank you but if I have trouble i will stop
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Can you give more details about your experience?
Also include a lot more pictures. This would bring a lot more value to your diary.
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Thanks for sharing! Wow, wasnt aware he retired. I plan to go to vietnam/russia in 2019 and do 8 cm LON like u. How old are u?
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thank you but if I have trouble i will stop
The problem is Viep, that during lengthening, especially if you do not weight bear you have no way of knowing when you should stop. Even after stopping lengthening you will only know the impact of the surgery months after, when the bone is fully consolidated and the soft tissues have adapted. So I suggest you learn about the people here who have done tibia lengthening; while the people who did 6 cm and below are ok, a lot of the guys who did 8 cm had issues and regretted lengthening so much.
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UPDATE :
Welcome back,
Until now, it's 7 weeks after surgery. I drag ~ 3cm. I dont have any painful. Everyday, I try to pratice about 1 hour 30 minutes. Because Dr tells me should pratice about 1 hour to 2 hours/day. But 2 hours is very hard to me I just can do that.
Everyone at institute take good care for me, especially is Thao. When I have personal necessary or when I wanna buy something, he alway help me a lots. And more than that, when I wanna stop or feel bad he alway support me like a friend makes me feel more comfortable.
I will post more about my x-ray because hospotal keep my x-ray. And I will post pictures after frame removal.
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Thanks for sharing! Wow, wasnt aware he retired. I plan to go to vietnam/russia in 2019 and do 8 cm LON like u. How old are u?
Im 25 years old. When I was 20, I have saved money for 5 years to do this surgery. At the first time, I decide to do in Russian. Of course, in Russian is really expensive. I dont have enough money to do and I heard in Vietnam is also good too. Until now, I dont have any problem.
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The problem is Viep, that during lengthening, especially if you do not weight bear you have no way of knowing when you should stop. Even after stopping lengthening you will only know the impact of the surgery months after, when the bone is fully consolidated and the soft tissues have adapted. So I suggest you learn about the people here who have done tibia lengthening; while the people who did 6 cm and below are ok, a lot of the guys who did 8 cm had issues and regretted lengthening so much.
I have a meet and talk with another guy, he have frame removal at 8.2. He did
tendon release surgery thought. But he said it only affect about 30% for his recovery. I will consider doing less if my tendon is too hard and require tendon release surgery
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I've never done it, but from what I've researched and what I've read from people on this forum who have done it. Do not do tendon release surgery. You have already an average height for a lady in the western world and tall for SE Asia, add 6 cm and you will be tallish everywhere. Do a lot of stretching / physio and know that it will take time to recover. 30% loss of pre op ability is a lot.
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UPDATE :
Today is my re-examination. Until now, everything is really okay. I have done 4cm, maybe i will do more 2cm, about 6cm I will stop. Because I think, 6cm is enough.
This is my x-ray : http://imgur.com/a/UOUbw.
Tks everyone for following me.
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have you got a screw in your ankle?
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Good luck. I will follow your diary
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Good Luck, Hope everything goes just fine
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have you got a screw in your ankle?
Nope. It is not in the ankle. Just near it otherwise I dont think I can walk. Here is the picture so that you can have a closer look. I think is it above the ankle for about 1cm? :)
This is a picture : http://imgur.com/a/6q7EH
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Good luck. I will follow your diary
Thank you :).
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Good Luck, Hope everything goes just fine
Thank you, dont forget to follow my dairy :)
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Nope. It is not in the ankle. Just near it otherwise I dont think I can walk. Here is the picture so that you can have a closer look. I think is it above the ankle for about 1cm? :)
This is a picture : http://imgur.com/a/6q7EH
Sorry, thats what I meant. Often doctors put a screw on the distal part of fibula. I gotta say it's pretty unique design. How many pins and wires have you got in total? thanks.
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hello viep , its nice to hear your story
did you have the doctor or his assistant contact?
hows your everyday life there? do you have any personal assistant , or you can walk by urself when in situation like wanna go to the bathroom or picking something that far away from you?
are the price include the medication? ,,
and did the doctor said when you will be recovered? (at least walk by yourself)
thanks , and have a nice LL journey
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Sorry, thats what I meant. Often doctors put a screw on the distal part of fibula. I gotta say it's pretty unique design. How many pins and wires have you got in total? thanks.
I have 4 pins each leg. So 2 legs is 8 in total. I'm not sure what do you mean when you said wire (sorry English is not my first Language :( ) but I'm guessing that is the big screw to secure the frame. In that case I have 3 big screw each leg 2 legs is 6 in total :D
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hello viep , its nice to hear your story
did you have the doctor or his assistant contact?
hows your everyday life there? do you have any personal assistant , or you can walk by urself when in situation like wanna go to the bathroom or picking something that far away from you?
are the price include the medication? ,,
and did the doctor said when you will be recovered? (at least walk by yourself)
thanks , and have a nice LL journey
I contacted them via this email: limblengthconsultant@yahoo.com
My everyday life is good. I have Tv, AC, ect...They give me 3 meals/day plus snack and compliment drink (coke, coconut water, milo,vvv). Their internet speed is good as well.
I have 2 person to look after me. A personal helper which is available 24/24 a day to help me with my request. Help to dump my potty and help me to get stuff and remind me to take my medicine and stuffs. Like basically they will do anything you ask them to. And they are like your second pair of legs. The other person is their manager which is doctor assistant. He will help you to make sure the helper will do things you ask them to and help you with your questions and worrys. This person is also stay 24/7 in the institute to make sure anything is running smooth and no problem happen to patients. If you want anything you can call him or text him. He will get things fixed pretty quick for you.
The price is included everything so you dont have to pay out of pocket anything. Included medicine and everything you could think of. I think they do a pretty good job. But the neighbor in this area is sometime noisy so it kinda bother me. But i'm okay with it cause it is not their fault anyway. I have the manager (Thao) to talk with me regularly when I feel weak and in an emotional break down (I cry a few time/week). He is like my friend. Although sometime I yelled at him because I feel discomfort and stress but he doesn't take it personal at all. Which I appreciate.
Doctor said it depends on each person from 1 -> 3 months after frame removal I can walk by myself. Normally it is 1 months but If you want to walk like a normal person then it takes around 3 months -> 6 months. Oh and one important thing that they also cover your complications. So if you have any complication they will treat it for free. That's what make me choose them :)
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Hello Viep.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am VNese so your experience will have a special meaning for me.
How is your consolidation? I believe you are doing well and can walk now? How badly the scars are now? can you share your result with us? and picture also?
I am planning for tibias by LON also because I you know it is unique option in Vietnam currently. My target is same as your with 7-9 cm (higher the better) and do Achilles tendon release if needed. How is your doctor say about this? How many chance of uncover after ATR according to him? Did you do ATR also and how is your cover?
Can you pls share more about the hospital which you did LL? How I can contact with them. In your story, I believe you have good experience there so I am consider to make appointment with Quynh, is that the Dr name you said?
Can we exchange personal contact so I can have chance to get you a coffee. It will be nice if we can talk more about your experience. Looking forward for your reply
Chúc Viep hồi phục tốt va mong được trao đổi với Viep kỹ hơn. Mình hứa là sẽ ko để lộ thông tin của bạn, mình chỉ muỗn tìm hiểu và học hỏi kinh nghiệm từ Viep thôi. nhắn tin cho mình theo line hoặc viber 0984524239
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hi..viep. i have a bow leg and rotational deformity..in my case the doctor will need a hexapod or Taylor Spatial Frame to fix my legs, do they offer this kind of device and do surgery for me? if so how much the doctor will charge for the surgery using this device. thank you.
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hi viep..is the doctor name is huynh ba linh? you wrote dr.quynh...is this the same dr or different person. thank you
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A good choice to find information quickly
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Anyone choosing to access the site because of its round shape
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Update: Today I reached 6cm. I'm serious consider to stop at 6.5 because the waiting time is too much to me. I'm stuck in 4 walls all day when I used to be active before. I missed my family and friends a lot. It is so tought for me to get through this emotionally. But maybe it is just because I'm an emotional type.
However it is lucky for me that my journey is very good. No complication so far. I dont think I can live on if anything wrong happen guys. (I know it is a bit drama But I can't help my personality)
I will update again when my frame removal is done and post pictures as well. Thank you all for your kinds words.
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Could we have some pictures ?
and also after the op if possible
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Update: Today I reached 6cm. I'm serious consider to stop at 6.5 because the waiting time is too much to me. I'm stuck in 4 walls all day when I used to be active before. I missed my family and friends a lot. It is so tought for me to get through this emotionally. But maybe it is just because I'm an emotional type.
However it is lucky for me that my journey is very good. No complication so far. I dont think I can live on if anything wrong happen guys. (I know it is a bit drama But I can't help my personality)
I will update again when my frame removal is done and post pictures as well. Thank you all for your kinds words.
I think if your leg still can lengthen safely, try to gain 7 - 7,5cm. you said you just consider to stop because mental reasons, not physical, so I feel if you can bear this emotion just more 10 days. Anyway 6.5 is good result. Congratulation. You are so brave.
Do you feel pain now? Are you still need pain killer sometime? or you stop use this already?
So far everything is perfect for your surgery, you said, I feel happy for you. Just stick with your plan.
I hope you can share us some pictures with scar right after you take out the frame. I wonder how bad the scar is? What is your plan to deal with them?
Text me whenever you need some one to talk. I know 4 month trip is very lonely.
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UPDATE
I decided to stop at 7cm. I finished my lengthening on 10/9. Then I waited for 5 days and then I have my frames removed on 15/9. Today is 4 days post op. The frames removal surgery is much more better than the first surgery. The pain is much less also.
From 1 -> 10 rating. The same day wake up after the surgery is hell. It was really painful. I cried and panic so they gave me a shot of morphin. After that I went to sleep for the whole night. The day after when I woke up I felt nothing. It just so magical. All the pain from yesterday just gone for good. However, I'm still afraid to try my new height so I stick up on bed for the whole day
Doctor came check my legs and told me everything is good. I have never felt so alive. Waking up with my legs only without the frames make me come back to life.
I was so happy and thankful that my whole journey was good. Then on 17.9 they checked on me again and then I got out from the hospital.
I was supposed to stay in the institute for another 10 days for stitches removal. However because Thao said if I manage to got my legs dry and clean then I can go home now. He will send nurse to my house to remove the stitchets later. And I couldn't happier to go home.
I miss my room and my family so much. So I went home. It's been 2 days now. I'm counting down for another 7 days then another 2 days after stitches removal to go shower again
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Congratulations to you for your good journey!!!
Are you walking yet by yourself without crutches???
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Thats great, im so happy for u man. Ur x-ray is looking good and perfectly aligned.
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GOOD JOB Viep
I AM HAPPY FOR YOU
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Best of Luck
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Hi Viep, hope you are doing well back to your everyday normal activities. I have a question, you paid 12,600 for the full boarding option and you're a vietnamese citizen? Will they charge the same for Foreigners or will they charge more?
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This changed since Dec 2017. Price for international patients is now $18,000 for surgery, boarding, x-rays, meds, and etc...
For locals it's $15,000 I believe.
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Yes, they said that is referenced to a new law and i heard they changed hospitals aswell.
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If you wanna lengthen by more 8CM I suggest you go to somewhere else to realize your dream.
As far as I know,Vietnamese doctor use LON to conduct surgery on your femur,which means more dangerous and harder to recover.
So I reckon you must raise adequate money for another doctor,such as in Europe,in US.Vietnam ain't a paradise for femur-surgery!