Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Athens on January 08, 2020, 12:41:17 AM
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Hey everyone.
Undergoing cosmetic leg lengthening has been in my mind for quite some time. With the Stryde nail, I felt the technology was here to recover with minimum downtime. My decision to undergo this procedure is a result of Height Dysphoria I have from being in the last 5th percentile of men in regards to height. I would like to think I am successful in most areas of my life, and my height has never held me back from anything in a meaningful way. Still, the thought of feeling better about myself, and my tendency to fixate on what I want, led me to this point. This procedure is not necessary, and I would advise anyone thinking about this to consider evaluating their mental health primarily. Perhaps such an operation says something about my mental state, however optimistic I may be.
Age: 23
Height: 164cm
The first step of my journey was to visit Athens to meet with Dr. Giotikas back in August of 2019. There, I met him and his staff, and I had a consultation which included X-rays, flexibility assessment, body proportions assessment, potential risks and complications, and also a little bit about myself. Dr. Giotikas presented a calm atmosphere, admitting to all potential risks, which surely trended me towards trusting in his judgment. My contact with the doctor and his team were professional, respectful, and responsive at all times throughout the past couple of months.
A body proportion analysis uncovered my femurs being much larger than my tibias. A growth of just 4cm would put me in unnatural territory. Conversely, a growth of 6-7cm in tibias, provided it is safe, will allow for a normal femur-to-tibia ratio, according to the largest sample size of body proportions (n=6000). At first, I was disappointed with the option of not going for femurs, but now I am delighted knowing that with the proper effort and stretching, I may reach very close to the 8cm I could have gotten from femurs, while maintaining a perfect femur-to-tibia ratio. My other proportions such as wingspan to height, legs to height, sitting height to height, are at the upper end of normal after the lengthening is completed. I would not do two operations due to time & money, unnatural proportions, and worse athletic recovery.
Fast forward to today, I am back in Athens. This day prior to my surgery had consisted of my preoperative checks. I once again met with Dr. Giotikas, signed a consent form, and I had a chance to go over any more questions I had. An important note to point out to anyone considering tibias is the reeming process. An intrapatellar approach (guiding the nail through the patellar tendon), had resulted in reports of anterior (front) knee pain, according to a study in which about 47% reported this being the case. Theoretically, going around the patellar tendon, would eliminate this anterior knee pain. Fortunately, Dr. Giotikas has used the suprapatellar [above (but technically going around) the patella] approach for much of his career, and it is in his opinion, which matches the research, that participants do not complain about anterior knee pain in any significant magnitude. This is not to say there is a significant reduction in nerve injuries or risk of compartment syndrome, but this alone, as well as less loss of blood, and quicker fluoroscopy times, lead to a more efficient surgery. Time will tell if I feel the positive effects of it, or rather, the absence of long term anterior knee pain. Following that, we went over logistical concerns (where I stay, internet access, passport for visa extensions, next of kin, etc.). Then I went to get an EKG and blood work, followed by a chat with the cardiologist, followed by further X-rays of my tibias and chest, and finally meeting with the anesthetist.
Athletic recovery is of the highest importance. My full, undivided effort will be towards recovery. I will be running at my normal speed in 9 months (God willing).
My surgery is tomorrow, wish me luck. 😊
P.S. In case anyone is coming to Athens in the next three months and would like a roommate, feel free to reach out.
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good luck! fingers crossed
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Good luck.
Ps: you won’t need it :)
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Good luck brother
Buy this slant board off amazon it’ll help you get as far as you can
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006LN5NHU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
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Good luck brother
Buy this slant board off amazon it’ll help you get as far as you can
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006LN5NHU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
hey legend
just out of curiousity....
do you do affiliate marketing?
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Good luck to you. I will be very curiously following your diary since your height attributesare very similar to mine. Hope everything goes well with the surgery itself to start with. Rooting for you!
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Good luck!
I also recommend some type of calf/stretch board!
I had used this one but be aware that some boards can only handle certain weights. I had gained weight throughout LL and the frames were also weighing probably 3kgs in total. I was above 60kgs with the frames but the board held my weight until this day.
https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B07WHY34D9/ref=sr_1_44?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=calf+stretch&qid=1578750354&sr=8-44
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Very good to see an upcoming diary of Stryde tibia with Giotikas. Wish you a successful surgery. Please update along with x-rays(if you feel comfortable doing so) during your time there.
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Hello again!
Currently on day 8. My surgery went great as far as I can tell. Will have to wait for another week to know for sure there is no latent infection due to the incubation period of these surgeries, but fingers crossed.
The surgery day itself consisted of visiting the hospital, getting an IV, walking to my room, getting changed into surgery attire, and getting fluids. It was at this point 15 minutes prior that I was understandably nervous. I was picked up and transported away quickly, and before I knew it, I was on the operating table. Not even a minute goes by, a mask goes on my face, and I blacked out. Can't remember how I went to sleep. I woke up after it was all done.
The hospital itself had three patients to a room in my case. The nurses mostly spoke English, and were generally good at controlling my pain. It was rather uncomfortable for me at times those four days in the hospital, each better than the last though. I took my first steps the next day. My legs were understandably swollen, so much so, that my compression socks were hurting. On the last day before discharge I met Dr. Gionnakis, and he provided the appropriate medications and advice. I was impressed with all the staff there. I have also been given Dr. Giotikas' personal line for any medical related questions throughout the process.
A transporter was scheduled for me to leave in my wheelchair. I left on day 4 to my airbnb and stayed most of the night in my bed, but also using my walker to get to the bathroom. Days 5 - 8 I have been wide awake, pain controlled, and getting looser and looser. Still slowly using my walker to get to the bathroom. Still swollen on parts of my legs. Finding a good position for my legs while sleeping is sort of difficult. Tomorrow I will meet with physiotherapy. I had a representative from Nuvasive come over today to teach me how to lengthen. My plans assuming everything goes well is to lengthen 0.75mm a day and eventually reach 7cm. This was my wish to Dr. Giotikas, and despite his recommended limit of 5-6cm, I may be permitted to go all the way to 7cm if my recovery allows me. Lengthening starts midnight.
Overall, pain managed, able to sit up and focus on studying/entertaining myself all day. Food can be delivered. Looking forward to my first consultation with the Dr. Giotikas on the 20th. As of now, very doable. God willing, it stays this way!
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Your young age should play a big positive factor into this, how was the psychological assessment? (if any)
Did he completely deny you from doing femur or was it more of a recommendation that he insisted that you got tibias instead?
Hope everything goes well
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Your young age should play a big positive factor into this, how was the psychological assessment? (if any)
Did he completely deny you from doing femur or was it more of a recommendation that he insisted that you got tibias instead?
Hope everything goes well
Hey, yes I had to fill out the cosmetic procedure screening scale (COPS) and based on my responses, I was not referred for additional psychological evaluation prior to the surgery.
He did not deny me, but he made it clear it was in my best interest based on my proportions, and he made the right call. Had I been adamant about doing femurs, he would let me know it would be beyond naturally occurring proportions.
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Athens, congrats on making it happen! Hopefully it will be my turn soon ::)
I will be keeping an eye on your progress as Im considering Dr Giotikas as well!
Have you seen your incisions yet? How do they look?
Are you pulling this off alone? How will you go to physiotherapy?
Hope you're doing well, best wishes!
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Athens, congrats on making it happen! Hopefully it will be my turn soon ::)
I will be keeping an eye on your progress as Im considering Dr Giotikas as well!
Have you seen your incisions yet? How do they look?
Are you pulling this off alone? How will you go to physiotherapy?
Hope you're doing well, best wishes!
Have not yet looked at my incisions. Alone. I use my crutches to get outside and order a taxi to get to physiotherapy. Otherwise you can go there and back with a wheelchair and someone to pick you up from the hospital, at 20 EUR per day.
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Day 18
I have for the past week been mostly laying on my bed in my airbnb. The struggle to get up is getting lesser with each day. Proper medication timing is a must to avoid pain. For food, I use a website to order once a day. I use my crutches to walk outside my airbnb, and catch a taxi to Theseus Rehabilitation center, and back. I have been doing well at physiotherapy and I am quite flexible. My right knee seems to be more tight than the left. I am able to take small steps without any device, and stabilize myself standing up for a short time. I have a slight hunch that i need to fix by flexing the right muscles. I had my consultation with Dr. Giotikas last Monday, and the x-rays were good and showing proper lengthening. I am lengthening at 0.75mm a day. I should be at 9.25mm through lengthening alone, and an additional 3-5mm from the osteotomy, so I should be at ~1.3cm now. I am doing some stretches in my bed, and I am pushing myself more and more each day to walk normally, but of course I am taking it easy. The worst part is the boredom of being on your computer, and also looking ahead knowing it is going to be a while before you see your loved ones, all the while you wake up each day to a bed in which you spend all your time on. Make sure you have clearly defined goals to accomplish in this time.
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You made an excellent choice in surgeon, you are in good hands. doctor giotikas just saved me from being crippled, after serious complications due to negligence in turkey with dr ozgur one of wannabetallers surgeon.
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"I am lengthening at 0.75mm a day"
What I have understood, bad idea start under 1mm/day. It might cause preconsolitation.
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"I am lengthening at 0.75mm a day"
What I have understood, bad idea start under 1mm/day. It might cause preconsolitation.
For the first seven days, I lengthened at 1mm a day. For the next 85 days, I lengthen at 0.75mm.
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Great diary Athens. I was considering Dr.M for the most part but now because of this diary, I might consider Dr.Giotikas. How much would you say the cost is of the surgery + your stay and food? I couldn't seem to find this information on his website.
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Great diary Athens. I was considering Dr.M for the most part but now because of this diary, I might consider Dr.Giotikas. How much would you say the cost is of the surgery + your stay and food? I couldn't seem to find this information on his website.
His website (https://www.athensbjr.com/cost-pricing-of-cosmetic-limb-lengthening/) is very clear with pricing, to include the surgery itself, the hospital stay, the medications, and the physiotherapy. What is not included is a taxi ride from your accommodation to Theseus Rehabilitation, and back. Every two weeks or so, you will also need to take a taxi to Mediterraneo Hospital and back for X-rays & follow ups. Considering your accommodation is likely close to Theseus, you should expect to pay around 20 EUR round trip, but thankfully it is only once every two weeks. If you stay somewhere reasonably close (5-7 mins away) to the rehab center, you pay the minimum a taxi is allowed to charge you per ride, which is 3.47 EUR. So every time I have physiotherapy, 4 times a week, I pay 3.47 EUR x 8 =27.26 EUR. Later on when physiotherapy is 5 times a week, I will pay 34.70 EUR per week. You can get a spacious airbnb between 800-900 EUR. You can be cheaper, and depending on what's out there, you might need to pay a little more. I would recommend you find someone to room with. I am alone here, and it could have been fun to room with someone else and keep your mind off things. You can pay 10 EUR approx per day if you have food delivered to you. Keep in mind, I did this for about a month, and I was malnourished. You need fruits and vegetables. I went to the grocery store (over here you would be looking to go to a place called Lidl), putting a large bag on my lap and getting around using my wheelchair, I spent about 60 EUR and I should be good for a week or two. You may also hire a nurse to shop, clean or do anything for you. Mind you, they like to stay for about 5 hours at a minimum and charge 10 EUR per hour. I didn't need to use them so far. Aside from food, accommodation, taxi rides, and maybe your reoccurring music/TV subscriptions, I haven't spent money on anything else. You can easily live here on (much) less than 1500 EUR per month.
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Day 48
I'm days from the halfway point. I just had my biweekly check with Dr. G. My bones are healing well, and I am at ~3.0-3.5 cm. I have developed ballerina foot in some sense. I am stretching a lot more than before as a result to combat it. My right leg is actually a couple millimeters shorter, I must have not been pressing hard on the machine. It shouldn't matter at the end, only a couple days of correction on the right leg. I have pain on both of my inner knees when straightening them (painful if accidentally straightened at night), pain on my left ankle, and pain at the osteotomy site of my right leg. It is manageable, and I have been very conservative with my medication so far. I practice walking with my crutches back and forth in the hallway, as well as use a slant board every hour and a half. So far, not totally comfortable, but doable.
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Good to see that your journey is going well.
How long are you going to stay in Athens?
Is it a requirement to stay there for an X amount of time?
Good to see that you can do this on your own, that's how I'm thinking about doing it, just wondering how long you have to stay in Athens
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Good to see that your journey is going well.
How long are you going to stay in Athens?
Is it a requirement to stay there for an X amount of time?
Good to see that you can do this on your own, that's how I'm thinking about doing it, just wondering how long you have to stay in Athens
I am staying in Athens for 100 days approximately, just enough to complete the lengthening. Dr. Giotikas does require you to be under his supervision during lengthening, so you must stay in Athens during this time.
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I stopped lengthening at 6cm last week, 1cm short of my goal. For the past few months, standing up was hard due to pain in my inner knees due to tightness, and the pain from shin splints, so I got tighter and tighter. X-rays last week were good and aligned. Only the muscles need to catch up. It was super depressing for me the whole time, from ruined relationships to isolation while slowly tightening up and losing function. Fast forward to now, my once considerably tight calves are showing signs of improvement. No more inner knee pain, and shin splints are mostly resolved. Going to stand some more using the walker. In about 6 weeks time, I should be cleared to lightly jog. In that time, I need to gain the muscle flexibility and strength to stand upright and walk. For now, I can't straighten my knees for example, and I can't get my heels to the ground. I suspect that I will progressively get back to normal. I couldn't study at all during this time, due to depression and isolation. While Tramadol, lyrica and paracetamol were the correct medications to prescribe to me, as to not hinder the bone healing process, none of them had a pain relieving effect on me. I disliked my physiotherapy. I would not recommend Mediterraneo Hospital at all, and Dr. Giotikas knows this from many patient reports. I suspect he will not send patients there anymore. When Covid began ramping up in Greece, we were moved to a different physio place far away (which was costly via taxi). It was only one week of going there that they decided the new center would close down too. Very inconvenient for planning my living situation, but it wasn't their fault completely. Fed up from the uncertainty, I left back home the next day. Now I'm back home and I am not as depressed as before. When I can start to walk and see my friends again, things will look up. All in all, things are headed in the right direction. I seemed to have a harder time than the average, so results may vary. So far, I would say Dr. Giotikas is a safe choice. He was always available via whatsapp, and I enjoyed his demeanor and professionalism from the start. The thing to be happy about now is that 6cm on my tibias has created the perfect porportions for me, as my femurs were much longer in the beginning. They look great, and with muscle building, they will hopefully look better. I'd also like to give a big shoutout to cyborg4life for giving me his routine for post lengthening recovery, as well as my friend eddiemorra for keeping me company in Athens through it all. That's all for now.
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Congrats! 6 CM is an amazing gain for tibias, far greater than the average gain of 5 cm.
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Thanks for the great update Athens, and congratulations on reaching 6 cm on your tibias! :)
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Congrats Athens! 6 CM in Tibias is great! I have no doubt your calfs will loosen up little by little, I remember when I stopped distractions my thighs (femurs 8cm) were pretty tight and I'd even have a hard time walking sometimes still. but as the months go by and you keep stretching and strengthening your body adjusts, it's a wonderful thing. Enjoy your new height and work hard for a good recovery via Rehab/work out & stretching, no pain no gain. It'll pay off.
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Thank you guys, I appreciate the kind words. :)
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any update?
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tibia 6 cm cool my dream too
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Can we get a quick update on recovery Athens.
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Hey everyone, 5.5 months post op here.
Regarding ballerina: After the distraction phase, I was super super tight. Every day during the end would be torture for my inner knee muscles if I kept them in an extended position. It quickly went away within a week after I had time to rest. My muscles were incredibly tight then, but are considerably less now, though still tight nonetheless. That was about 2.5 months ago. Today, when I stand up, my knees are still bent slightly, and my heels dont touch the ground. However, I was worse off before. I have gotten to a point where I can stand up and walk a bit, even though its a balancing act without proper heel placement on the ground. I can still get to the fridge if I have to. It's a different story if I have shoes on with a little bit of heel. I am much more centered. I'm going to give it a few months, I'm hoping two, and I'm sure it will resolve. -Side Note- Some people do not get ballerina, and they are not even using stryde. It depends on your anatomy. I suppose I was starting out with shorter and/or less flexible tibias? Although, I remember being able to flex 40 degrees before the surgery (highest setting on slant board).
Regarding Walking: About 6 weeks ago, I was just really making my first few unaided penguin steps. It felt dangerous to walk. Always kept assistive devices near. Lifts on. About three weeks ago, I would still have some heels on, ballerina was resolving more and more, and I could walk few short distances around the house before collapsing on my bed. My legs would get sore after every time I walked. Two weeks ago, I took my shoes & no additional heels, and walked to the park and back. I could barely walk on the way home. Soreness after the walk for 30 mins usually. A day later, I was determined to try jogging. BAD IDEA. Not only is it dangerous, the nail could break, and I could lose that height forever, as well as additional surgery, but it was PAINFUL on and off up until today. Throughout the past two weeks, my attempt to jog has created intense & reoccurring pain, mostly from swelling and inflammation it seems. It was a shin splint, I thought, and so much so I thought it could have been a stress fracture. The pain baffled my physical therapist. I went to my ortho doc in the states and an x-ray thankfully showed no signs of fracture. This leads me to my next point.
Regarding Pain: For the entirety of my post op phase, I was prescribed Tramadol, lyrica, and paracetamol. Perhaps they worked in the beginning, but towards the end, I feel as though the drugs provided little to no pain relief. Tramadol is a mild opioid, but its effects are varying. It doesn't works on your nervous system to block signals of pain, but it is a wild card and often is reported not to work. When I got off Lyrica, I didn't feel any different. When I took 1000mg of paracetamol, I didn't experience any pain relief. These are my experiences, though. I am told my Dr. Giotikas that I have more receptive pain receptors, and more pain in general. What won't work for me could work for you. I had a friend who reported Tramadol didn't work for him after a while. Dr. Giotikas does not advocate for NSAIDs such as ibuprofen. These drugs work to inhibit the actual inflammation, not just the signals of pain to your brain. The thing is, I've always suspected they help. My ortho doc here advised 800mg max a day. I tried one 200mg, and WOW I felt better. I discontinued it soon after, at the advice of Dr. G. Just yesterday though, was the height of my pain after running two weeks prior. I had such high pain I opted to go to the ER to get immediate pain relief, and an X-ray to see if weight bearing should stop due to a potential fracture. X-ray was clear, and they prescribed me hydrocodone. It's more potent that Tramadol. It didn't work for my pain that hurt with every pulse. Out of desperation I took an NSAID, and it provided such amazing relief, just a 200mg ibuprofen. I contacted Dr. Assayag who posts on this forum. He wrote to me that his mentor (Rozbruch) concluded in a 2020 study that out of 155 LL patients, NSAIDS did not negatively impact bone healing after osteotomy. It decreased opioid consumption, and funny enough, their understanding is that opiods have you worse off in regards to bone healing. In addition, he is right when he says that a combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen provides me the necessary pain relief to allow me to weight bear more (or at all)! This leads me to give you my unprofessional opinion that, NSAIDs w/ acetaminophen do the trick. Had I had that from the beginning, I don't think I would have needed anything else. NSAIDs are a life saver, and the only thing saving me from a ton of pain today, in fact I have virtually none at rest and aches are down to a minimum. I absolutely do NOT advise you to take my recommendation. Speak to your doctor. I'm sure Dr. Giotikas does not approve and it is not in my area as a patient to recommend to him to update his lit review. I do not know what he knows as a physician, and I do not know what his experience has yielded him in terms of recommendations. Side note: After distraction, I went months without taking any pain meds. It was more so just stretching and tightness that I had to fight than anything. This late in the game, the use of NSAIDs were simply to combat this inflammation from a silly attempt to jog early on. And aside from using meds to combat the aches after longer and longer period of walking, which happens as soon as your heels touch the ground, I don't typically need meds anymore, and haven't for a while. If you're one of the people who didn't have ballerina, you will likely not need pain meds for long because you will always have been walking more frequently from the start. When I build up a tolerance to walking normally, the aches will go away and meds won't be needed as much. It is only in this period that I seem to take them. Just wanted to add that to let you know that most of the time you won't be experiencing pain.
Regarding stretching: Slant board as much as possible in a strict routine. And for me, it simply takes time.
5.5 months later, I ran into hiccups very recently with pain. But as of yesterday, it was miraculously controlled with the right meds. I can walk short distances with tightness and a knee bend, but I can walk. I can pick stuff up off the ground. I can slowly get down the stairs, but faster coming up (no side-rail). In the next coming weeks, I will walk more and more. I foresee an exponential climb from this point on. I don't see much of a barrier anymore. Finally, this is not easy. If you plan to not tell anyone about this procedure, expect to wait half a year like me to get to this point. My thoughts of being great to walk around April/May were wrong indeed. Or not. You could be above average in terms of everything - from flexibility to pain tolerance. As a now 24 year old, I was below to slightly below average in the above. I would go as far as to say, this is one of the longer recoveries you'll find, one that is not yet resolved completely, but with hope for the future in terms of proper proportion, alignment, and tight yet progressing dorsiflexion ability. There will be bad days. It is so important to have friends and speak on the phone and be a human, while you hide your recovery, sometimes in isolation. Don't be fooled - there are bad days filled with boredom, physical, social, and mental pain. On days you feel bad, you don't end up posting on this forum. Don't be fooled at seemingly perfect threads that don't touch upon the struggle. When I'm standing without effort and run fast, only then, I can tell you it was worth it. This is only worth it if you get a recovery of 95% or more. I am very happy with the proportions, and I haven't been outside much to experience the height difference, so I haven't even gotten to experience the joy just yet. A lot of excitement in the future. I feel I am at the cusp of beginning my life again after this period of stagnation, and it feels great. Will update soon, and feel free to message me with any questions.
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I find it concerning you still have ballerina even with fully weight bearing nails. How much did you stand and walk during rehab? As many said, standing and walking are probably even more important than stretching or regular PT. Walking during lengthening is the best PT, people say.
Anyways, the hardest parts are over for you Athens. I hope you live a great life after getting back to normal!
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hi Athens, thanks for the update! Keep on stretching, I hope you get back to normal soon!
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Hi Athens, I enjoyed your writting, your honest reflection on things and the way you stress how different patients may respond differently during their recovery. I do understand that you struggled a bit more than others but you are almost done now so congrats and well done for your good progress so far.
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Where are Your X-rays?
why Dr. Giokitas's patients are not showing Xrays?
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Where are Your X-rays?
why Dr. Giokitas's patients are not showing Xrays?
Boy oh boy, if you don’t have a fetish for X-Rays - Why are you demanding for X-Rays.
Believe it or not, X-rays are TOO PERSONAL to post on a public for some.
Ignorant question - why Dr. Giokitas's patients are not showing Xrays?
There are a few of Dr. G patients here that have posted their X-rays.
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Boy oh boy, if you don’t have a fetish for X-Rays - Why are you demanding for X-Rays.
Believe it or not, X-rays are TOO PERSONAL to post on a public for some.
Ignorant question - why Dr. Giokitas's patients are not showing Xrays?
There are a few of Dr. G patients here that have posted their X-rays.
Sir Azman then Anybody can come here and write ohi did 8 cm on tbia and 8 cm on femur i am doing good my dr. is so caring he is that he this.....
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Sir Azman then Anybody can come here and write ohi did 8 cm on tbia and 8 cm on femur i am doing good my dr. is so caring he is that he this.....
True very true there’s a possibility of that but why would one waste their time but if one do some digging, they can have a good sense of who the fakes are.
Posting X-ray does not guaranteed the truth. As you mentioned there are no computer chip on X-rays to track a person down.
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True very true there’s a possibility of that but why would one waste their time but if one do some digging, they can have a good sense of who the fakes are.
Posting X-ray does not guaranteed the truth. As you mentioned there are no computer chip on X-rays to track a person down.
They can promote to a new dr. with fake blog in this forum
one thing i want to tell you there are a fews surgery ( limb lengthening) we can count on finger every year Almost everybody knows this forum , You cant post fake Xray here
and there is tool ( i forget the name) You can know who posted that picture first time on internet
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until you reveals Your identity nobody can't know who posted it
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They can promote to a new dr. with fake blog in this forum
one thing i want to tell you there are a fews surgery ( limb lengthening) we can count on finger every year Almost everybody knows this forum , You cant post fake Xray here
and there is tool ( i forget the name) You can know who posted that picture first time on internet
Any that’s one of the many reason why some patients don’t post their X-rays. I think you have most of the answers to your questions if you would just listen to yourself, stop doubting your knowledge. Self-doubting is a B.
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until you reveals Your identity nobody can't know who posted it
Wow you speak the Truth, praise the lord.
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Any that’s one of the many reason why some patients don’t post their X-rays. I think you have most of the answers to your questions if you would just listen to yourself, stop doubting your knowledge. Self-doubting is a B.
ok good Now i understand there are some marketing agent who are promoting drs .
Good luck sir Azman
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ok good Now i understand there are some marketing agent who are promoting drs .
Good luck sir Azman
So true. Agreeing not arguing, guess that’s the lesson for today.
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So true. Agreeing not arguing, guess that’s the lesson for today.
Sorry i don't trust You
there is something wrong
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Sorry i don't trust You
there is something wrong
Don’t cry I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I think you should start a new tread instead of hijacking others treads.
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Don’t cry I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I think you should start a new tread instead of hijacking others treads.
Hijacking ???
I juat posted some simple questions yesterday in @seriouslyinjured diary
You came there and started conversation without logic
then i read your diary and other two patients of dr. Giotikas all don't have any single xray to proove you guys are real patients
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Hijacking ???
I juat posted some simple questions yesterday in @seriouslyinjured diary
You came there and started conversation without logic
then i read your diary and other two patients of dr. Giotikas all don't have any single xray to proove you guys are real patients
You and your X-rays, boy oh boy.
Do more digging on this forum before I make you look dumb again.
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You and your X-rays, boy oh boy.
Do more digging on this forum before I make you look dumb again.
Sir Azman this is valid question for credibility for asking an x-ray
there is no fun
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Sir Azman this is valid question for credibility for asking an x-ray
there is no fun
It’s not what is asked, it’s how you ask that troubling.
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It’s not what is asked, it’s how you ask that troubling.
asking for xray is trouble???
wow Good logic
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asking for xray is trouble???
wow Good logic
I don’t think you understand reread the post slowly if it hard for you to comprehend the words.
It’s not what is asked, it’s how you ask that’s troubling.
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asking for xray is trouble???
wow Good logic
All the diary and sharing are voluntary, and will benefit any future CLLers. If the author like to share something, they will. But please don't force it, they are not obligated to reveal anything they don't want to share. On the other hand, if you search deeper in the forum, you should be able to find information you are looking for. No point of argument here.
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More, in the US there is something called the HIPAA law. No one is obligated to share their health information including X-rays. If you don't trust the diaries, it's your own business, no one is forcing you to trust those. No need to be a keyboard warrior and trolling on multiple diaries :)
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Great diary, I hope your well, how much did you lengthen and how much did you cost? Please reply thank you
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Dear Gman23 . You already know the cost and everything. Go and see Your own posts and comments
You arleady have 3 Threads in ' Limb lengthening patients experience about cost and all with dr.Giotikas . one thread is removed already .
You are popping up dr.Giotikas diary . F### man this forum is full of fake patients
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Hey everyone. 9 months post op.
Reasonable amount of ups and downs. Mostly trending positive though. By the time I was done lengthening, I couldn't extend my knees to 180, I was missing over 30 degrees of extension. Needless to say, that was very bad and mentally difficult. In the meantime, I have made it to today. Bone healing is complete on fibula, and is 80% complete on both tibias, the front part is almost done filling in. I will be taking out some annoying screws soon as I don't need them as the bone holds up the rod, just a quick 30 minute procedure in my local hospital. There is also a screw underneath my knee that is preventing me from putting weight on it, so having that taken out as well. I will take out the rod in April more than likely.
I am walking normally now. I still need a few more degrees of knee extension and dorsiflexion. All I can say is the best physical therapy was slant board stretching, and nothing else worked for me. Even greater than that, was time. Walking to rebuild my quad strength, slant board, and time. Some things just take time, especially soft tissues. My legs look proportional, and once I make a full recovery, I will tell you it was worth it. Have not started running because I seem to irritate my nerves every time I do. So, I will start to run when I regain full flexibility in a few months. Until then, walking mostly back to normal. Will update in a few months.
This surgery is not a walk in the park. I did have one of the best, most professional and responsive surgeons out there, but that alone cannot save you from how your body decides to react. I am relieved to return to normal, because there were months where I thought I was never going to get better. That was a major toll on my mind, and it seemed like no one in the forum had warned me of how tough it was mentally. S here I am telling you now, it was tough, it's not over yet for me, I expect to recover most function in time at this rate, but you must understand that I was only confident in walking normally 9 months post op. I am below average in performance, so likely the recovery timetable may be a little quicker on average for others. If you are willing to wait that long for 6cm on tibias, and can take off work, and can deal with the pain, and if you decide to hide things from family or friends, expecting not to see them, you have to think at it from every angle. I am confident in walking 9 months post op, but technically I could walk with a noticeable limp 7 months later. So 9 months its hardly noticeable. I just wanted to add this warning of hardship. I blame anyone on this forum who has a diary and doesn't tell it how it is to the excruciating detail. What writing on a diary omitting the hard parts boil down to is playing with peoples' expectations, which could be the difference from doing it or not.
It is painful, but doable. That's why it is so hard to make the LL decision. Stryde is not magical, it is still hard. Far from a walk in the park. Hardest thing I've gone through in my life to date. And if you're perfectly healthy and considered average height, I would say think about the road ahead carefully. Lots of good outcomes, but I am just preparing you for reality. No sugarcoating it here.
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I read this and I just think to myself that it seems like everyone doing tibias for more than 5cm encounters a 12 month recovery period?
Just feels like femurs is infinitely more easy.
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m7liam, I'm getting the same vibe from this as well. Tibias are much tougher in terms of recovery, compared to the femurs based on the diaries here... You your self are in the process of doing femurs and are walking, doing normal actives while lengthening. Femurs ftw , but obviously in Athens case, proportionally was better off doing tibias. This serves as a message for most people that unless you are heavily disproportioned Femurs/Tibias, do femurs.
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Athens I'm glad that most of your troubles are over and I hope for a full speedy recovery. On the positive side can you describe how you felt with your new height, did people react to you differently, and did your family realise?
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" would not recommend Mediterraneo Hospital at all"
1. What were the worst things about it?
2. Where do you think you would have gone instead if you could redo it?
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Some thing doesn’t feel right about dr Giotikas diaries... any one know if most of Dr giotikas Diaries are worth trusting ??? No hard feelings but I’m starting to have doubts ...
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Some thing doesn’t feel right about dr Giotikas diaries... any one know if most of Dr giotikas Diaries are worth trusting ??? No hard feelings but I’m starting to have doubts ...
You are not alone, they just seem so detached.
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I read this and I just think to myself that it seems like everyone doing tibias for more than 5cm encounters a 12 month recovery period?
Just feels like femurs is infinitely more easy.
m7liam, I'm getting the same vibe from this as well. Tibias are much tougher in terms of recovery, compared to the femurs based on the diaries here... You your self are in the process of doing femurs and are walking, doing normal actives while lengthening. Femurs ftw , but obviously in Athens case, proportionally was better off doing tibias. This serves as a message for most people that unless you are heavily disproportioned Femurs/Tibias, do femurs.
His mistake here was doing tibia lengthening with Stryde when he should have gotten it done with TSF.
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I did surgery on 17.1.20 with normal precice on my tibias (6cm) and still cant walk normally but im almost there. Had the same problems as athens. I had bad ballerina and its getting better.. i can stand straight haha. It can take even 1 year to recover depending of how well u eat, sleep, train etc... you are doing great Athens. You need to stretch a lot to get normal. I was thinking that maybe im too old (32) but its good to know that almost 8 years younger had same problems. Its not about the age always. I will continue my diary when im ready. Remember to stay strong mentally. Pain wasnt the worse in my case even i had 2 surgery because missallingment of my lef leg. Im thinking also doing 6-7cm on my femur when i feel ready. Its not easy to forget normal life for 2 years but it doesnt matter because the feel is great. U just have to feel it.
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any update?