Limb Lengthening Forum
Limb Lengthening Surgery => Limb Lengthening Patients Experiences => Topic started by: Singapore on February 04, 2019, 05:52:59 AM
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Hello all,
First of all, English is not my native language, so I am sorry in advance if you have trouble while reading my story.
I had my operation on the 31st January with Doctor Sarbjit Singh in Singapore. I will try to tell my story as detailed as possible for those of you interested. I think its about time that I make contribution to our community, also its a good place to learn more about LL from other veterans.
A little bit about myself:
Original height: 1m70.5 (5'7) ( not too short, but not tall enough...)
Age: in my 20s
My goal: 6.5-7cm (somewhere between 2.5-3 inches) depends on how my body takes it
Wingspan: 1m84 (6')
Its funny how my mind has changed. I used to want to get to 1m85 cm with 2 operations since my wingspan allows for that height. I used to think that a man below 1m8 is considered to be short.... Through time, I realize that your appearance just plays a small part in your life. And there are other aspects that you should care about more than your height. So I finally decided to settle for 1m77-1m78 cm which is close to 5'10 and I think it is a fine average height for men. The reason I chose Singapore is because:
1. Its near my home country
2. Its a first world country with top medical service
3. Doctor Singh seems to have a good reputation in his field.
Being said, it takes me no time to contact the doctor and set up the appointment for consultation. 2 weeks after the consultation, I had my operation. I came a day before to do some blood test and made payment to the hospital. Everything went well. Surgery was set for 11am on the following day. The night before the surgery, I went around the city with my Mom to relax and find something to eat. I really like Singapore in general. Good tropical weather, trees are everywhere, birds are everywhere and the people are friendly and helpful. We ate some foods and went back to the hotel at around 10pm. I did not have any trouble sleeping that night even though I was a bit nervous like we all should be unless you are a psychopath ;D ;D
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Wow yours is a diary in Singapore after a very long time! Congrats on starting your journey. Please post some pictures of the hospital, your legs and x-rays if you have them.
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Very happy to see internal Doctor in Asia except Dr. Li.
Keep strong friend.
Could I ask you 3 question? Why you choose Singapore rather than South Korea?
Could you tell me the total price(surgery plus accommodation?)
Do you know when Stryde come to Singapore?
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oomggg finally another diary with Dr.Sarbjit... Imy from southeast asia too, planning to have CLL surgery with Dr.Sarbjit too in 1 or 2 years... GL on your journey
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The operation
I woke up at around 6am in the morning of the surgery. I only drank some tea. I did not eat anything as guided by Doctor Singh. I had one last bowel movement as I know it would be tough to do it in the following days :-\
9:00: I headed to the hospital.
9:15: I was admitted to my room. I decided to stay 4 nights in this room. Its a bit expensive since its a single bedded room, but for my privacy, its worth the price.
9h30: nurses came asking questions about my health history and had me signed some forms. They told me to wait in the room until someone come and get me to the Operating Theatre.
10h45: A nurse came with the rolling bed. I kissed my Mom goodbye, and hopped on the bed.
11h: I was put in a waiting room. Some nurses came, asking the same questions an hr ago, put the tags with my name and info on my wrist. Not too long after, the anaesthetist came. He asked me why did I chose to do femurs because he saw many people chose to go with Tibias. I just said I want a faster recovery. He asked me if I wanted epidural anesthesia or general anaesthesia. No way in hell I want to be awake during this surgery so I simply told him to give me general anesthesia. He also said its better since the operation will take around 4hrs.
11h10: I was rolled into the operating room, it was cold. I saw doctor Singh. He told me everything will be fine, I could trust in him. I smiled and gave him my thump. I was nervous, and the thing I hate the most while being in the operating room is the fear of being exposed to many people while I am unconscious. Then came the IV, and the gas mask. I dont know if you have watched this movie "Awake" casted Hayden Christensen . In the movie, the guy was awake during his heart transplant surgery. I watched this movie many years ago, but when the gas masked was put on my face, this movie was replayed in my head." I cannot be that unlucky". I thought to myself....
17:00 When I opened my eyes, nurses told me the surgery was successful and I will be rolled back to my room. Time traveling is the exact experience you have after this surgery. I had no sense of being put to sleep for 4hrs...Even after reading about it in some of your diaries, I still felt weird as hell when it happened to myself....
From then one, I just felt dizzy and sleepy. I skipped my dinner. I just wanted some more sleep. I woke up again at around 9pm and talked to my parents. Nurses came and gave me antibiotic through the IV. I took some pain killers. Pain was non existent to me at this time.
And even though I was dizzy as hell, I cant help but feel so excited thinking that I have finally made it. The first step of a long journey, but yes its finally done, I had waited for this moment 10 years now....
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@cool: pictures are coming :D
@raku: I believe Singapore is as advanced as S.Korea as a country and doctor Singh is an experienced and respectable doctor in orthopaedic field. English is the official language in Singapore so no communication barrier for foreigners like me, cannot say the same thing about S.Korea. I am not sure when Stryde is coming but I can ask the Doctor and get back to you or you can email him yourself. Here is his email: sarbjit1@singnet.com.sg
@Roh20: thank you my friend!!
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Please tell us price $
& what does it feel like to have a nail inside rather than outside
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(https://i.ibb.co/vBtwSgc/IMG-2896.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FWPxFNh)
virtual dice 10 sided (https://freeonlinedice.com/)
(https://i.ibb.co/g4hfnS7/IMG-2879.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Z27FZBJ)
(https://i.ibb.co/THjxbKb/IMG-2884.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2jV1s8s)
(https://i.ibb.co/Bg104Wn/IMG-2889.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cNm4bfY)
I love this machine!!!
(https://i.ibb.co/3WmvzN0/IMG-2890.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2P3SNtj)
(https://i.ibb.co/ys0GZcL/IMG-2893.jpg) (https://ibb.co/x5hPBtV)
Way to the operating room!
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These are the pictures taken from my room during the nights I stayed there. Unfortunately, I forgot to take picture of the hospital food :(
(https://i.ibb.co/q01b521/IMG-2865.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YDjvZVj)
(https://i.ibb.co/7CrYjzS/IMG-2866.jpg) (https://ibb.co/W5BxG3H)
(https://i.ibb.co/LCmGskZ/IMG-2867.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Bgb1YzC)
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Day 1
I woke up pretty early in the morning after the surgery. No pain whatsoever. But I couldn't move my legs either. They dont use the catheter here, and I am glad that they do not after reading some of your diaries. However, since my legs are totally useless at the moment, I had to pee into the urinal vase that the nurses gave me. That was the first battle.... It took me a good 15 minutes looking at the bottle while my mom holding my legs up straight. It was probably the most awkward 15 minutes in my life :-[ I gave up..... A few hrs later, I tried again but this time closing my eyes and imagine there is nobody in the room. I did it :P Got to say, I have never feel such a relief for being able to pee in my life. Nurses came in checking my vitals and giving me antibiotic and pain killer every 2 hrs or so. Doctor Singh came in at around 10am. He told me everything went well and no complications happened during the surgery. An occupational therapist would come by and show me how to use the wheelchair the next day. I did not eat much in the first day post op for 2 reasons:
1. I did not feel hungry at all...
2. I was scared of going into the washroom for number 2 >:(
This is the picture of the urinal vase given to me, I took it with me after being discharged from the hospital.
(https://i.ibb.co/HH4wDBH/IMG-2905.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wzgGNBz)
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@Kenda: Total price is about $68000 included 3 nights stay in the hospital ( single bed room)
If you could afford it, internal method is much more convenient in my experience so far. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to move around with the frame, not to mention to keep your opened wounds clean everyday. And more importantly, how could you sleep well at night!?
I give a huge respect to those have done external though. They truly have a strong will to overcome those problems I mentioned above.
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I guess this is gonna be a great story/diary
Good luck for you!
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I guess this is gonna be a great story/diary
Good luck for you!
Thank you my friend! I am not too good with words, so I hope that I could make my diary as liveable as possible with pictures :)
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Day 2
Same routine as day 1.
1.Nurses came in checking my vital, giving me necessary drugs, and cleaning my body :)
2.Doctor Singh passed by at around 10am asking how I am doing. He said we will start the lengthening process on the next day. He has already put the machine used for Precise implants in my room, and that got me very excited ;D But that is tomorrow. Today's biggest task is learning how to put myself in the wheelchair and the commode chair from the hospital bed. This will be my way to get to the restroom during my process as Doctor Singh does not allow me to walk. he told me that standing is ok, but walking will be too risky.
3.The therapist came to my room around noon time. She was very funny and full of positive energy. She introduced me to this thing that help me to move from my bed to the commode chair/wheelchair.
(https://i.ibb.co/DrH133B/IMG-2907-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dmwfnnN)
(https://i.ibb.co/TwS3svM/IMG-2908-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/mRwW3D5)
(https://i.ibb.co/sv0Qy1q/IMG-2906-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/C5kvh9Q)
It was super tough at first, since you will need to use your upper body to carry your weight little by little. Thats why I think being in good shape is an advantage in this surgery. The therapist told me about a patient that weighted 200lbs+ and every time he got to move from the bed, it was super intense. Anyway, that was the highlight of my 2nd day post op ;D
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Nice picture. Thanks for your detailed friend. Where would you stay for the several months later?
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I think 5'10''(1,78) is a good height actually, if you have a good posture, good fashion, etc, people will usually think you are 5'11(1,80), or even 6'0(1,83) if you wearing a good and comfortable shoes (not lifts, i really mean shoes.. those which increases 2cm, you know). People estimate height wrongly, I'm pretty sure you had noticed this... have you ever seen a friend/guy/anyone who is...like 1,82, but people think he's 1,85 (6'1), or whatever height, number. As you live in a Asian Country, i can claim you will be fine, you won't need to worry about height.
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Nice picture. Thanks for your detailed friend. Where would you stay for the several months later?
Hey Raku,
I am currently staying at a 4 stars hotel near the hospital for the month of February. Cost is a bit expensive for now, but my comfort level is at maximum which really put my mentality on the positive side. For the next months, I am still looking for an apartment/condo.
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I think 5'10''(1,78) is a good height actually, if you have a good posture, good fashion, etc, people will usually think you are 5'11(1,80), or even 6'0(1,83) if you wearing a good and comfortable shoes (not lifts, i really mean shoes.. those which increases 2cm, you know). People estimate height wrongly, I'm pretty sure you had noticed this... have you ever seen a friend/guy/anyone who is...like 1,82, but people think he's 1,85 (6'1), or whatever height, number. As you live in a Asian Country, i can claim you will be fine, you won't need to worry about height.
Absolutely my friend. With this height, even going to most part of Europe or North America is not short either. You just dont stand out as tall, but in no way you are considered short. Cheers!
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Day 3
1. Same routine as day 1 and 2
2. Pain level is still at 0 which is a plus
3. Peeing is now a bit easier.
4. Doctor Singh came in at around 11am to show me the lengthening part. This is no doubt the most excited moment so far for me :D :D
I have watched the youtube video of someone using the lengthening device before but I still listened carefully to doctor Singh's instruction. The most important thing is to put the device on the right mark where the doctor has put on your thigh. So he gave me a medical marker and asking me to never let the mark to fade away. He set up the device and put the lengthening amount for 0.33 mm. I would be lengthening twice a day for the first 3 days. After that, he said I could do 3 times a day ;D And he said that I already seem to recover well and having no problems, so he would discharge me a day earlier.
5. A physical therapist came at around 2pm and showed me 3 exercises for getting my ROM back. It felt great!!
Some pictures of the lengthening device from Exactech. I am responsible keeping this device until I finish the process. Doctor Singh said that he trust me, hence allowing me to bring it back to my home country if I wanted to, but it has to be returned when the process is done otherwise I will get charged by $5000.
(https://i.ibb.co/1JbsV09/IMG-2987.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0VQBNnf)
(https://i.ibb.co/rkJmdsb/IMG-2988.jpg) (https://ibb.co/1ZxLz6s)
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day 4
1. I was discharged. Took my last antibiotics shots. Got the pain killers from doctor Singh. Gave some fruits to the nurses that took care of me to show my appreciation :) :) :)
It felt great to be outdoor again ;D ;D ;D My parents rolled me back to the hotel room where they were staying.
2. Its the first day I tried to go into the washroom and tried number 2. It was hard, and I could not do it. Better luck next time...
3. Now that my mobility has improved a bit, getting from the bed to the wheelchair took less time, and I did not feel as tired as when I tried it the first time around. Your mobility does improve day by day if you work hard on the exercises I believe ;)
View from my room. I have never spent so much time looking at the sky like I am doing now. And it does improve my mood a lot :D
(https://i.ibb.co/FhssGKs/IMG-2989.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6yvv6mv)
Finally I get to eat some tasty local food. This is a dish of grilled chickens, spring roll, rice noodle and some pickles and salad. I havent got my appetite back, but it was still pretty good. Everything still seems to be ok 4 days post op :)
(https://i.ibb.co/7pMKTvJ/IMG-2876.jpg) (https://ibb.co/DMcQ64D)
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day 5
1. I was able to do number 2 today ;D ;D Feel really happy about it, because I can now do all these basic activities of a normal human being.
2. I still take the pain killer as instructed by Doctor Singh. He gave me 3 different kinds and I am told to take 2 of them on schedule regardless of the level of pain. Here are some pics. I put doses of each day into this cup so I do not forget how many times I have already taken during the day.
(https://i.ibb.co/Br3TTPJ/IMG-2990.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cC322v9)
3. Today, I started to do 0.99 mm of lengthening instead of 0.66 mm like the previous days. And I am not sure if its because of this change, but I got this pain out of nowhere just right before I go to bed. The pain level is about 5/10 :-[ To make it easier to imagine, it feel just like if you lying on your bed with your knees at the edge of the bed and both your shins perpendicular to the floor while wearing some weight on it >:( It was hard to sleep, so I had to take the strongest pain killer ( Arcoxia/Etoricoxib) for the first time as doctor Singh asked me to only take it if the pain is unbearable. Fortunately, it worked well and I managed to fall to sleep. It was the hardest night so far. I slept like a baby in the previous nights...
Eating some chicken soup today ;D I am trying to avoid seafood and beef for now until my scars are healed so most of my dishes are either chicken or pork.
(https://i.ibb.co/MVDQzkn/IMG-2878-2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/jMvsCkh)
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It's really nice to see you like this.I have sent an e-mail to the doctor for three days. Unfortunately, he did not reply to me. Can I have a chat with you? Thank you very much.
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First of all, great diary and definitely going to follow your whole journey! Hope everything goes so well as possible! :)
2. Its the first day I tried to go into the washroom and tried number 2. It was hard, and I could not do it. Better luck next time...
Was it because you couldn't get to the toilet or you couldn't get it out while you were at toilet?
To me, and im serious, one of the main concern is how can i handle number 2 after surgery. Because i have very rapid intestinal and usually i have to visit 2-3 times/day at toilet. If i try to hold, i causes great pain just in minutes or at least at hours.
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Dear friend. Many veteran suffer a lot in the first 3 week but you are very lucky and have a painless experience and share so many picture. We are grateful and hope you keep stronge and kind to share.
What I notice is that Doctor allow you go back home during lengthening phrase.
I shock because Doctors around the world seldom let patients go home finishing lengthening. Only Doctor K in Munich allow European patients to go back home with Stryde nail and Doctor M in Los Angeles allow patients to leave America with Stryde nail. But in this situation, Std nail would be less likely to be broken for the ability of weight baring.
And Dr. M in Spain's patients with fitbone nail could go home during lenthening.
We all know how important the PT is during lengthening. It is part of the surgery.
Although the Precice 2nail breaking seldom happen. But the Doctor should always control something uncertain risk. Am I right? I would not recommend you coming home personally.
Would you go back home when being allowed?
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Hey Raku,
I am currently staying at a 4 stars hotel near the hospital for the month of February. Cost is a bit expensive for now, but my comfort level is at maximum which really put my mentality on the positive side. For the next months, I am still looking for an apartment/condo.
Hei Singapore, congrats, can you plz provide the cost details? thanks
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It's really nice to see you like this.I have sent an e-mail to the doctor for three days. Unfortunately, he did not reply to me. Can I have a chat with you? Thank you very much.
Hi Elevy,
Last time I saw him, he said he was on a business trip. So you might have to wait for a few days. Shoot me a pm anytime you need :)
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Dear friend. Many veteran suffer a lot in the first 3 week but you are very lucky and have a painless experience and share so many picture. We are grateful and hope you keep stronge and kind to share.
What I notice is that Doctor allow you go back home during lengthening phrase.
I shock because Doctors around the world seldom let patients go home finishing lengthening. Only Doctor K in Munich allow European patients to go back home with Stryde nail and Doctor M in Los Angeles allow patients to leave America with Stryde nail. But in this situation, Std nail would be less likely to be broken for the ability of weight baring.
And Dr. M in Spain's patients with fitbone nail could go home during lengthening.
We all know how important the PT is during lengthening. It is part of the surgery.
Although the Precice 2 nail breaking seldom happen. But the Doctor should always control something uncertain risk. Am I right? I would not recommend you coming home personally.
Would you go back home when being allowed?
Hey Raku, I was also worry, but doctor Singh told me many of his patients are from foreign countries, and they all go back home after a few days without problem. In term of risk, we all have to be careful for our own safety no matter where we do it, right? We are all adults now :P I decided to stay in Singapore to stay close to the doctor. I might gonna stay here for 3-4 months. Thats the plan for now :D
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may I ask how the scars look so far? thanks.
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First of all, great diary and definitely going to follow your whole journey! Hope everything goes so well as possible! :)
Was it because you couldn't get to the toilet or you couldn't get it out while you were at toilet?
To me, and im serious, one of the main concern is how can i handle number 2 after surgery. Because i have very rapid intestinal and usually i have to visit 2-3 times/day at toilet. If i try to hold, i causes great pain just in minutes or at least at hours.
Hi Hatch
For 2 reasons that it was hard.
1. The wounds were still fresh, so when I tried to squeeze myself into the commode chair it was uncomfortable.
2. The ROM was still pretty bad, my legs could not spread as wide as it should when I go for no2 before the surgery. After sitting for 10-15 mins, my legs started to be numb and I think its not good to cut the blood flow of my legs at all so I decided not to try anymore.
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may I ask how the scars look so far? thanks.
scars are pretty good. I am happy with the scars so far. Unfortunately, I dont want to post my body part on here. But I guarantee you, the cut made by doctor Singh were really clean. I am gonna search for some sort of cream to reduce it even further from existence ;D
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Thank you for sharing. How are you doing in Singapore? Do you live alone? Do you have anyone to take care of you
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Hey Singapore, very informative diary! Congrats!
Question: do you need a visa to stay in Singapore for this surgery?
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Hey Singapore, very informative diary! Congrats!
Question: do you need a visa to stay in Singapore for this surgery?
Hi Uphill,
I have a 30 days visa as my country is part of the Asean. I am not too sure about the others. Cheers!
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how much total cost please ?
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day 6
1. I felt great today. Bowel movement was done without a hassle 😚
2. After the morning bowel movement, I had my first shower for God knows how long after the surgery😬 It was so refreshing to have hot water pouring all over your body :-* :-* I am planning to shower once a day from now on since the physio therapy exercises made me all sweaty 😤
3. Since it was the holiday in Singapore, I couldn't went out for food, instead I had lunch at my hotel. The dish was good, but the price is also outrageous 😤
(https://i.ibb.co/7NQGJwL/IMG-2902.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5xk5WNw)
(https://i.ibb.co/QpqGrMF/IMG-2919.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XjdTStZ)
4. The pain was still there at night, so my sleep was disturbed one or twice. Still, once I woke up, the pain went away, and I did not have any fatigue at all 😌
5. I went outdoor to get some fresh air at around 5pm. This is the swimming pool at my hotel
(https://i.ibb.co/y0KwSq1/IMG-2936.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5TCNFLy)
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Is there no rehabilitation specialist to help you recover? Do you feel good
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Is there no rehabilitation specialist to help you recover? Do you feel good
Hi Elevy,
No
Before I left the hospital, a physio therapist showed me 3 exercises to do while on the bed. I ve been stretching like hell since. I am just addicted to the pain of stretching. Its the sort of pain that you can control, and after finishing the exercises, it just feel really great. When I meet with Doctor Singh again, I will see another therapist and I will get more exercises I think. For now, just me and my towel, but I do 3-4 hrs of stretching a day since I have nothing else to do :D
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Day 7 and 8
1. I could say that my mobility has improved day by day.
2. No pain whatsoever while I am awake, and I am out of pain killers. So tomorrow (day 9) will be the first day of me without them. I will let you know if I am able to survive, but I have a strong feeling I will ;D When I am in rest mode ( day and night), I could feel the stiffness in my legs, so I just use hot oil to massage them, and do some more stretching, and it has been effective :) :)
3. Other than that, my appetite has been regained, I eat like a pig now. Number 2 is much more easier to accomplish now, almost back to my normal self, except that I cannot walk :D
I applied this hot oil on my legs for massaging. Combine with stretching, it really helps me to fall asleep easier now 😋
(https://i.ibb.co/68mx2Rz/IMG-3020.jpg) (https://ibb.co/w7RXTNV)
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great to hear these news, keep it up. Will pray for your entire journey. I'll be consulting with dr.Sarbjit too in the end of the year, hope everything goes smooth. Anyway, all the best to you, hope we can meet sometime.
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great to hear these news, keep it up. Will pray for your entire journey. I'll be consulting with dr.Sarbjit too in the end of the year, hope everything goes smooth. Anyway, all the best to you, hope we can meet sometime.
Thank you for your kind words my friend. I will keep posting my journey till the last day so you will have a clear picture of what to expect if you decide to do it here :)
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Amazing diary! Can you explain to us how hard it is overall being wheelchair bound? How hard is it to do wheelchair to commode or car transfers?
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Hey cool
It was hard during the first 3 days post op to move from my bed to the wheel chair/commode chair. Its is especially harder if you are not in good shape. if you want, you can start practising right now. Try to get the transfer board as well. But it will get better everyday. I just used a taxi designed for wheelchair today. I will take a picture next time. Very comfortable!! If you could have someone who is close to you to take care of you in the first week after the surgery, its the best thing. After that, a caretaker would do it. I could pee, do number 2, taking shower without any problem or pain since day 5 post op :)
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asking again - Singapore, plz advise on the cost details, thanks.
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Have you ever paid attention to your weight. Are you getting lighter
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asking again - Singapore, plz advise on the cost details, thanks.
hey 7231,
Sorry for late response.
Cost for the implants was around $34000. I got $1200 discounted or something thanks to Doctor Singh
Cost for the hospital (fees for surgeon, single bed room, etc...) was around $33000
Consultation is $100 ish
Cost for removing of the implants would be around $19-20k in Sing dollar.
For accommodation: you could so a research on your own to see how much does living in Singapore cost :)
Cheers
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Have you ever paid attention to your weight. Are you getting lighter
Hey Elevy,
yes, I feel that I have lost some weight. Not sure if is muscle or fat, but I do feel lighter ^^
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Update day 12,
1. I went for the x-ray today. Thanks God that everything was ok. I was more nervous about seeing my first X-ray after the installation of the implants than actually going into the operation😅 It turned out, I have already gained 16.7 mms on both legs. I thought I only had 10-11 mm so far. That means by the end of this month, I will be 3 cms taller which marks half way of my journey already😀
2. It was also the first day that I went to the rehab facility. I learnt some new exercises today that will help strengthen my quads, and stretching my hamstrings. It felt pretty good in overall. My left leg is weaker than my right one. Doctor Singh told me to go thee 4 times a week, but the PT told me 2 times a week could do it for now because I seem to be highly motivated, she believes that I will be doing fine at home by myself.
3. My stitches was removed. I will be applying this cream on the scars in the next 2-3 days to make sure they become less visible☺️
Getting some sushi for lunch today 😋
(https://i.ibb.co/RQhVWPM/IMG-3006.jpg) (https://ibb.co/NW1Hzpk)
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May you take a picture of your legs ? It would be insteresting
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I am in the lobby of the hotel..Unfortunately, my information is restricted. I can't believe it privately.
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I hope you can see it. I'll wait for you in the lobby of the hotel.[/img]
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I hope you can see it. I'll wait for you in the lobby of the hotel.[/img]
I m coming down. I believe I am the only on on a wheelchair so you would know who I am. 2 minutes
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hi Singapore. I was waiting for a diary in the Asian region for a long time and your diary is very refreshing! I hope you are able to reach your goals! Good luck.
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May you take a picture of your legs ? It would be insteresting
You mean the Xray?
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Also I sent you a direct msg on this forum. I hope you can check some time :)
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Quick update on day 18
1. I havent taken any pain killer since day 9, and I have no pain anymore unless I sleep with my back and legs straight. ;D
2. I am focusing mostly on stretching my IT bands these days with these 2 exercises, my hamstrings never cause me any problem so far, only the IT bands
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CLL is not easy, I have read some diaries where the patient did nothing but playing video games which really affected their recovery. The surgeons do their part, but as patients we also need to take care of our body as well with hard work on stretching and strengthen your muscle. That is why I do not waste any second for not doing something productive unless when I eat or sleep. When I watch movies or listen to music, I still stretch my legs like hell, and I think that is why I am pain free right now. ;)
3. You probably have read about the sleeping problem in every single femurs diary. Yes, its real. Here are the only sleeping positions that I can use to fall asleep.
(https://i.ibb.co/cCs5Rdf/1-QIe-Gtuz-B9je-Ah-Vhq5q-Lrg-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/b2GhYnw)
+ For the first 10 days, I can only sleep in position 3,5 with 2 pillows on each side of my leg to keep them stable
+ Starting from day 14, I can sleep on the side like 2,6 which really helps to keep my sanity because sleeping in 1 position is a pretty nasty thing for your body and mentality :-\
+ Position 1,7,4 are used mostly for the sake of changing to a different position, but its not easy to sleep in these positions. Its just good to move your body around a little bit as it helps with the circulation. I can only sleep for about 4-5 hrs a night. So I try to make up for it by going to bed early ( around 10pm) and get 1hr nap during noon time. This helps to keep my energy high for PT exercises during the day.
Other than these things, it has been a relatively easy process for me. I hope it stays like this till the end of the journey!
I will try to post my X-ray when I cross the 3-3.5 cm mark which hopefully will happen at the end of this month :)
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Hello Singapore!
Happy to know you successfully undergo the surgery. May we know how's your update? 8) Are you still in Singapore? :)
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I saw your message. Give me 5 minutes pls :)
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Please post an update Singapore :) We are waiting to hear you are doing great :)
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Please post an update Singapore :) We are waiting to hear you are doing great :)
Yeah man. I am sorry. Not much to write about, same day everyday hahahaha
So here is a quick update of day 25
I went to visit @Elevy yesterday at the hospital. I am very happy for her. She has such a strong will for her age :)
I finally decided to take some painkillers at night because the sleeping problem is really tiring me out :-\ So I took 2 pills just before going to bed, and I finally had a straight 7 hrs sleep. ;D
I also tried to stand up for the first time, and it feels great to be on my feet again. Some tightness near my hip area that I could feel I have a slight duck ass event hough its not visible. So this is something I need to work on if I want to achieve more than 6 cms. :-\
Tomorrow, I will take my second X-ray, and this will determine if I am in the condition to go back home. I sincerely miss my country's food so I really hope that everything will be ok. :)
My "saviour" last night
(https://i.ibb.co/X5vHZMd/IMG-3064.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8xSkDtR)
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How difficult is it to be in a wheelchair Singapore? Is it mentally too difficult?
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Good diary,fellow.Did Dr Singh perform the IT-band release for you?
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How difficult is it to be in a wheelchair Singapore? Is it mentally too difficult?
Singapore is a first world country so they have access for wheelchair pretty much everywhere in the public. Being on the wheelchair suck for your circulation, and for the inconvenience of going to public places like restaurants and stuffs but its manageable. People are very nice here too. But its mentally difficult if you are by yourself. You should have friends or someone to talk to while doing this thing. And always going outdoor once a day to keep your mind sane.
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Good diary,fellow.Did Dr Singh perform the IT-band release for you?
Hey autfield,
Yeah man. If you do more than 5, he will perform IT band release as well.
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Hey autfield,
Yeah man. If you do more than 5, he will perform IT band release as well.
I see. Thanks so much.
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wish you good luck on March my friend!
By the way, is the 68k fee you mean is in Singapore currency? I am kinda confused on it
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Us dollar
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Hi Singapore, hows things? Heard you left Singapore 3 weeks back. Everything ok? ??? Haven heard from you in the forum for a while~
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Hi Singapore, hows things? Heard you left Singapore 3 weeks back. Everything ok? ??? Haven heard from you in the forum for a while~
Hey man,
Sorry for the late reply. Yes, everything is fine so far, it has been kinda boring for me really. I just had one small accident, but everything is still ok at this point :)
wish you good luck on March my friend!
By the way, is the 68k fee you mean is in Singapore currency? I am kinda confused on it
Hey man, it was in US dollar.
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Good to hear from you Singapore! The journey can be boring at times; but worth it at the end of course. I hope everything is okay regarding the accident.
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Update day 46
Hi everyone,
I am sorry for not updating my diary in a long time. Just getting back to work a little bit. But my life has been boring and a bit depressing due to a few reasons that I cannot mention on here ( PM me if you want to know why). However, this problem will soon disappear when I got this thing over with.
1. It is quite surprise that I do not have sleeping problem any more. I thought it only become harder and harder the more you lengthen. Now, I could sleep through the entire night without waking up 2-3 times in between ;D
2. I had a small accident a week ago. I tried to stretch my knee in an awkward position. I thought it could help on my knee joint and hips. But I ended up overdoing it which made the Patella popped out of its position!? It made a loud scary cracking sound. And for a moment, I really thought that I broke the freaking nail. I went to see the doctor in my country to check on it, and everything seemed to be ok. Even though, I am not in pain, it does hurt a bit in some exercises >:(
3. I crossed my 5cm milestone 2 days ago. At this point, I still have no pain and all of the discomforts that I mentioned from the beginning have been gone. I really think that I can make it to 6.5cm or even 7cm if my proportion allows it :)
4. Finally, I think I said that I will post my Xray when I crossed 3 cm. I am sorry that I forgot to do that. This is my Xray 5 days ago, when I was at around 4.6 cm.
(https://i.ibb.co/2P59HHH/IMG-3205.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vmDFRRR)
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Good to hear from you Singapore! The journey can be boring at times; but worth it at the end of course. I hope everything is okay regarding the accident.
Hey man,
Yes. Now I can understand why these veterans just left the forum to move on with their life hahahaha
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Hey man,
Yes. Now I can understand why these veterans just left the forum to move on with their life hahahaha
Yes. This journey is intense! We will live to tell the story when it's all done. :-) I'm about to cross the 6cm mark tomorrow. You're doing great. I'm glad you're okay.
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How does the new height feel? Have you got to experience it yet? :D
Best wishes with the final phase of your LL!
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hi, so how much did you Pay for Precice 2 ??
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Hello! How much did you pay for your procedure? I received the price list from the doctor but I'm not sure if the price listed is for mono-lateral or bi-lateral....
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Wait so you paid 68 k for precice 2!! thats too much for it
and what do you mean that after 5 cm he will do IT Band release, is that like his technique or what ? because it band release has many problems
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Still cheaper than Dr Lee in South Korea I think?
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Hi, S,
I've met a girl who's also done with her operation in Singapore using Precice several months ago. I saw her walking very nicely without any problem, and she has perfect proportion with about 6cm+. In other words, she has received a wonderful result. Her recovery rate is even faster than mine, which I feel super happy for her.
Thus, I personally think Singapore is really a good place to undergo the surgery if the potential patients are considering to go for P/S nail. Same technology along with a cheaper price. A good deal, isn't it?
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Hi, S,
I've met a girl who's also done with her operation in Singapore using Precice several months ago. I saw her walking very nicely without any problem, and she has perfect proportion with about 6cm+. In other words, she has received a wonderful result. Her recovery rate is even faster than mine, which I feel super happy for her.
Thus, I personally think Singapore is really a good place to undergo the surgery if the potential patients are considering to go for P/S nail. Same technology along with a cheaper price. A good deal, isn't it?
In singapore the only Dr is sarbjit singh right?
And whats the cost for stryde??
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Not quite sure about the cost. She told me though, I forgot. Anyway, Singapore is somehow cheaper than the US. Patients can save the budget roughly at least 30% or even more. In addition, there is a hearsay that Paley may increase his price due to an increasing number of his patients. Not sure about it.
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The stryde nail is already in Singapore
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In singapore the only Dr is sarbjit singh right?
And whats the cost for stryde??
I heard 75k without rehab costs
Only includes 3 day post opp hospitalization
For this price, I’d rather buy the safety of Donghoon
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Why do you think it is any less safer to do stryde with Dr s. Singh? yes stryde is in Singapore. I know of at least 1 patient who went through the op
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I heard 75k without rehab costs
Only includes 3 day post opp hospitalization
For this price, I’d rather buy the safety of Donghoon
Oh so Donghoon is 75k?
& Temaki would you do with giotikas or wait till u can afford donghoon?
or both are equal in abilities
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Oh so Donghoon is 75k?
& Temaki would you do with giotikas or wait till u can afford donghoon?
or both are equal in abilities
Donghoon has lot more experience of cosmetic LL than Giotikas
Trauma LL is done when someone injured and one leg shortened from the original or done on dwarfs
That means those patients soft tissues aren’t stretching that much when doing LL
But cosmetic LL is totally another level of stress to soft tissues
It’s better to choose someone who is very knowledgeable of Cosmetic LL
Besides after reading all diaries of Greece, I would never go there
One case with severe contracture and ended up having extra surgery to extend foot muscle, this sounds horrible
Other case delayed union but Giotikas decision to let patient start lengthen again after stopping lengthening, is very questionable
People think delayed union is only a problem of individual physical condition but that is not 100% true and many cases are actually due to diagnostic mistakes and or malinstallment of frames or nails,at much earlier stages lengthening speed is needed to be slowed down
Also there was a report saying the level of PT is not good
I don’t think it’s worth considering Greece
It’s nonsense to compare him with Donghoon who is assigned as an instructor of Nuvasive nails
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Why do you think it is any less safer to do stryde with Dr s. Singh? yes stryde is in Singapore. I know of at least 1 patient who went through the op
Could I ask which hospital and surgeon in Singapore does Stryde? If you have more information about doing CLL in Singapore as a Singaporean I would like to PM you if that is ok.
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Hi u can pm me, I do have a lot of information about who is doing stryde in Singapore.
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Donghoon has lot more experience of cosmetic LL than Giotikas
Trauma LL is done when someone injured and one leg shortened from the original or done on dwarfs
That means those patients soft tissues aren’t stretching that much when doing LL
But cosmetic LL is totally another level of stress to soft tissues
It’s better to choose someone who is very knowledgeable of Cosmetic LL
Besides after reading all diaries of Greece, I would never go there
One case with severe contracture and ended up having extra surgery to extend foot muscle, this sounds horrible
Other case delayed union but Giotikas decision to let patient start lengthen again after stopping lengthening, is very questionable
People think delayed union is only a problem of individual physical condition but that is not 100% true and many cases are actually due to diagnostic mistakes and or malinstallment of frames or nails,at much earlier stages lengthening speed is needed to be slowed down
Also there was a report saying the level of PT is not good
I don’t think it’s worth considering Greece
It’s nonsense to compare him with Donghoon who is assigned as an instructor of Nuvasive nails
Kenda is asking if donghoon is charging 75k, why can’t you answer that straight to the point? I found your posts are pretty biased to Dr Sarbjit, and also your replies are pretty professional. May I ask if you are deployed by some place or someone to post all negative comments about Dr Sarbjit Singh. This is what I have observed so far. Anyway, since you are so knowledgeable in this area, can you advise what’s the rate to do bilateral lengthening with Donghoon, and the cost is of precice nails or stryde nails.
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Kenda is asking if donghoon is charging 75k, why can’t you answer that straight to the point? I found your posts are pretty biased to Dr Sarbjit, and also your replies are pretty professional. May I ask if you are deployed by some place or someone to post all negative comments about Dr Sarbjit Singh. This is what I have observed so far. Anyway, since you are so knowledgeable in this area, can you advise what’s the rate to do bilateral lengthening with Donghoon, and the cost is of precice nails or stryde nails.
we have been exchanging PMs, I don’t need to go into details here for her
After looking at these X-rays, I can never recommend any of my friends to go to Dr Sarbiji
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=64340.msg165668#msg165668
Actually even before this case I had already some doubts about this doctor after reading bluebarbie and Singapore cases
I used to work at a hospital in Japan so I have some connections with medical professionals but I do not work for any CLL doctors :D
Price of Stryde at Donghoon hosp is not released yet but they have announced that the price of packages will increase the amount of nail charge difference, hosp accommodation will be same as current price
I’m definitely waiting for korea to get Stryde
If Dr Sarbiji cost 75k without hosp stay of 90 days and without PT, it’s not gonna be that much different from Korean price
So I really think it’s not worth going to Singapore for almost the same cost as the other doctor who is way more experienced in CLL
Maybe it’s very convenient for you to get it done in Singapore but at least I would recommend you to do really deep research regarding this surgery, how life threatening or life changing it can be.
I’ve been connected to more than 10 veterans of CLL who are not in this forum and gathering info on 20 more cases, most of them not written in this forum.
Behind this forum lot more horrifying stories are hidden.
After learning, I naturally became very picky when choosing a doctor
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we have been exchanging PMs, I don’t need to go into details here for her
After looking at these X-rays, I can never recommend any of my friends to go to Dr Sarbiji
http://www.limblengtheningforum.com/index.php?topic=64340.msg165668#msg165668
Actually even before this case I had already some doubts about this doctor after reading bluebarbie and Singapore cases
I used to work at a hospital in Japan so I have some connections with medical professionals but I do not work for any CLL doctors :D
Price of Stryde at Donghoon hosp is not released yet but they have announced that the price of packages will increase the amount of nail charge difference, hosp accommodation will be same as current price
I’m definitely waiting for korea to get Stryde
If Dr Sarbiji cost 75k without hosp stay of 90 days and without PT, it’s not gonna be that much different from Korean price
So I really think it’s not worth going to Singapore for almost the same cost as the other doctor who is way more experienced in CLL
Maybe it’s very convenient for you to get it done in Singapore but at least I would recommend you to do really deep research regarding this surgery, how life threatening or life changing it can be.
I’ve been connected to more than 10 veterans of CLL who are not in this forum and gathering info on 20 more cases, most of them not written in this forum.
Behind this forum lot more horrifying stories are hidden.
After learning, I naturally became very picky when choosing a doctor
The Xrays of tibias lengthened look great to me,which was also noted by old forum Writers. I’m just curious, are you a potential patient, ex patient, or something’s else. I just noticed you kept bringing down other surgeons’ work.
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Anyway, I just check up Singapore Medical Council’s guideline on advertising one’s services and work. They are very strict on Doctor’s self advertisement. Based on this, if Dr Singh can’t advertise his work or expertise, and yet patients still go to him, by word of mouth, that should says quite abit about his work and results, isn’t it?
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Anyway, I just check up Singapore Medical Council’s guideline on advertising one’s services and work. They are very strict on Doctor’s self advertisement. Based on this, if Dr Singh can’t advertise his work or expertise, and yet patients still go to him, by word of mouth, that should says quite abit about his work and results, isn’t it?
Why don’t you contact as many patients and doctors as possible
That way you’ll learn something important
I learned things that way
I warn people because I’ve known many sad cases which are quite devastating
People who are very conscious understand why warning is needed
Without enough information people get into traps
At least if you think this Dr Sarbiji is good, I guess you have not done enough research
You’ll be ending up spending 75k surgery fee and more for PT and living cost
This is a lot of money
It’s well worth doing very deep research regarding this surgery
Researching only about the doctor you are interested isn’t enough
Anyways I warn you enough it’s up to you. If you think you can trust the doctor then go ahead.
I only hope you don’t get malalighment or anything bad happen to you spending a fortune
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Yep, Dr Sarbjit is Great. No Regrets! I got 8cm from him.
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I got tibia LL done in Singapore by Dr Singh Sarbjit and I had to get correction done by an actual LL doctor, Dr Lee in Korea. So let me share my story here in the Dr Sarbjit Singh section.
Just for your reference I had surgery done by Dr Singh in q3 of 2018.
What happened to me was I got an infection in my left leg at the distraction site, it was actually swelling up within the first 3 days of surgery but the doctor said its normal and to me it could very well be.
But after a couple weeks it turned out to be an infection, maybe I should have asked for more antibiotics? Or maybe the doctor should have prescribed it.. I'm not a doctor, I follow doctor's directions to the T.
Anyways there are 2 types of infections, 1 that happens at the skin level, and 1 where it is bad enough that it reaches the bone and ultimately the stryde nail. And bacteria loves metal, once it reaches the metal you're f'ed.
Apparently Dr Singh Sarbjit works in Myanmar as well at some hospital there (random I know) so instead of paying the super high Singapore costs I went to Myanmar (out of all places..) to get the infection removed.
At first it looked ok, Dr Singh Sarbjit also wrote down in an official letter that there was no infection at the bone site whatsoever and it was only skin level.
I even took IV antibiotics + almost 8-10 weeks of deep bone antibiotics just to be sure.
But even with all this, I was getting this weird sharp pain in my leg. There was nothing noticeable outside but there was a sharp pain inside. And the x ray shows a dark spot inside my bone. Which is very weird because there shouldnt' be any dark spots in the bone itself.
Dr Singh kept telling me no infection no infection, it is the x ray machine, it is my imagination, it is blah blah blah.
Long story short, it was an infection, and a bad one too. It looked like it has been sticking to the metal for months and eating away at the inside of my bone. It was basically a chronic infection that came about from the surgery itself.
I found this out after I went to Korea to see Dr Lee. Actually Dr Lee was treating me for something else that I didnt even know. Apparently the ankle screw that connects the fibula to the tibia wasn't even connected.
Dr Singh had drilled like 4 times lol, in my right leg ankle, and in all 4 tries he basically left the screw hanging in space. The screw looked like it touched the tibia, but at the very edges, so I had to get that treated, you dont want your fibula to be uneven to your tibia.
For anyone looking to do tibia LL, don't believe any doctor that says "your fibula doesnt matter, it is a useless bone" this just shows what an ignorant idiot doctor this person is. "ahem ahem Dr Singh ahem ahem"
But while I was getting my fibula fixed by Dr Lee (both legs by the way), he cut open the area I told him was hurting and found the infection. It basically had melted away that part of my bone into mush. Crazy right.. that sort of infection only happens after months and months, I saw Dr Lee around the 3 month period. AND this was after all the antibiotics I took and the additional surgery to clean out the infected site by that idiot doctor.
Dr Singh the whole time said no infection, he was even the surgeon that cleaned out the infection site and he said no bone infection, everything was basically no no no, I am never wrong, all other doctors suck (man you guys should hear what he says about Paley and Dr Lee and all these other doctors) (he is f'king hilarious, talks so much , but at the end of the day he is the con artist himself)
But yea, I am finishing up my treatment at Dr Lee's, basically I needed to remove my stryde nail and use an external fixator. EF for right leg to pull down my tibia, EF for left leg for both stabilization, lengthening/shortening if I wanted, and to pull down my fibula.
Funny thing is, I met ANOTHER patient here in Korea who Dr Signh f'ed over as well. This guy had the exact same problem, the doctor put some "screws" or some screws for show lol in the ankle and it didnt do anything, just a piece of metal hanging there.
He has to fix his fibula both legs, one of this stryde was bent or something in the tibia, and in the femur, my god, his femur stryde wasn't even on tight enough, it was loose and he went to Dr Signh for x ray and Dr Singh would lie about the length of his femur distraction. Now his right leg femur is longer than his left leg lol. Dr Singh would lie about the x ray and then he went to another hospital to do additional x rays and found out he was being lied too.
Just a few other points I forgot to mention: one of the large screws was facing the wrong direction in my left tibia (discovered by dr lee), if you search my posts (with x ray pics) you will see that my left tibia wasn't even straight, it was crooked, also my knee joint pain was due to the screws being too high (mainly wrong position in my left tibia.. was he drunk? I dunno? I mean I did go have surgery after a major Singapore holiday.. maybe that fool was hungover).
Let's just disregard my main points above, number 1 infection, number 2 no tibia/fibula connection with screw, there was even a whole host of problems (crooked leg due to dr Singh not aligning the top and bottom bone correctly), knee pain due to the screws being in odd positions poking into my knee ligament, and screws facing the wrong way (which we can all say oh whatever its still in the leg right?) but a skilled doctor wouldnt make these mistakes, less drill 4 times into my right ankle.. and not even get the fibula and tiba together.. geeze.. need glasses?
So yea.. I'm leaving Korea but he will be coming here to fix his problems as well.
Dr Singh is crazy for sure, this guy talks so much , and he makes so many mistakes. I wonder how many patients of his will have any kind of deformations down the line because of his inability to fix the fibula to the tibia.
For most of us who just recently did the surgery, there is actually not much pain at all if the fibula is shorter, BUT it is PROVEN that in later stages of life after this misalignment is locked in place after bone consolidation and you keep walking and running with this, there is a much higher probability of deformity.
Long story short people, save your money and go with a reputable doctor, I've met people from India, China, Singapore, (there was a patient from Greece but didnt get to meet), etc at Dr Lee's because of other doctor's lack of skill and knowledge.
You want a doctor that provides stryde at a cheap price? Don't. Stryde is USELESS if the doctor CAN'T IMPLANT IT RIGHT.
Just save your money and go with the reputable doctors... In Asia, I would recommend Dr Lee HANDS DOWN. He aint cheap but damn hes good. Europe no clue sorry. America.. had friends go to Paley and heard hes Amazing as well. Choose wisely people.
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So, I just want to update on my journey:
I have been hitting the gym, and start to train more seriously on my legs as I should have in the past 9 months....
I could jog now ( even though not as fast as pre-op, but progressively improving on a weekly basis). I hope I could reach level 10 on the treadmill by the end of November. (I am at level 7 now). I jog at level 14-15 pre-op. My legs do not feel tight anymore as I lay down like many months ago, but in some complex movements, I could still feel the tightness ( I am not sure at the moment if it will stay like this forever)
Regarding marathonrunner: I feel bad for you buddy. I am not sure if I am the lucky one or you are the unlucky one. I hope that you could recover well from this horrible incident, and get back to run marathon soon.
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Hey @Singapore can we actually see some leg photos please. I went through 4 pages of content and it's mainly food posts and an x-ray on a forum about limb lengthening.
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Hello Singapore, How long does it take from the pre chẹckup to the actual day of the surgery?
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hi Singapore
thank u for your posts.
can i ask you a question:
how long did u get at last?
6.5-7cm is your your goal which you mention.
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Hi Growing. Sorry man, I value my privacy and would not want to post any part of it on the internet. Hope you understand ;D
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It took me around 3 weeks or something.
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I got around 6.5-7 cm I believe. My height is nearly 5'10 now.
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How is your recovery now? Can you walk long distances and play sports?
Did you get your nails out?
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How are you now? How long after surgery did it take for you to run jog and do sports activities?