Cosmetic leg-lengthening surgery: UK doctor sounds alarm over 'extremely painful' procedure

Published on 09/09/2025 - 11:48 GMT+2

For decades, breaking someone’s legs to make them taller was a sadistic solution for children calved pinch 1 limb shorter than nan different aliases patients recovering from catastrophic injuries.

Now, much and much adults successful Europe and beyond, notably men seeking a boost successful assurance aliases making love prospects, are voluntarily going nether nan knife, simply to guidelines a small taller.

The method was first developed successful nan 1950s by Soviet surgeon Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov, primitively to thief patients pinch terrible deformities aliases maturation issues. But today, it’s being marketed arsenic a luxury cosmetic process for those consenting to strengthen nan agonising symptom and salary eye-watering sums.

How does limb lengthening room work?

The process originates pinch an osteotomy - nan surgeon saws done nan limb bone, splitting it into 2 pieces. A lengthening device, often an outer metallic framework pinned done nan tegument and into nan bone, gradually pulls nan sections isolated by mini millimetres each day.

Patients must move mini screws aliases dials respective times a day, forcing nan bones to separate. Over months, nan assemblage tries to heal itself, increasing caller bony to span nan lengthened gap.

A successful result whitethorn beryllium a 5-8cm summation successful height, according to a declare by a US limb lengthening company.

What are nan downsides of this surgery?

Recovery tin beryllium punishingly slow and painful. Patients walk weeks immobilised, followed by months of regular physiotherapy to agelong muscles and relearn walking.

Complications are besides common: a study successful nan Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research recovered that 30-45 per cent of 760 patients knowledgeable issues specified arsenic infections, bone-healing problems, associated stiffness aliases nervus damage.

NHS doctors successful nan United Kingdom are now besides urging group to reconsider undergoing specified traumatic treatment.

“Leg lengthening room is not a speedy hole – it is simply a serious, invasive process that tin beryllium beneficial for patients erstwhile location is simply a genuine objective request but carries important risks and requires informed discussions betwixt diligent and surgeon," Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England’s nationalist head for objective betterment and elective recovery, precocious told The Telegraph.

He warned that patients look months of treatment, which tin beryllium "extremely painful", pinch nan anticipation of infection, nervus damage, humor clots and moreover imperishable disability.

"Anyone considering this room for cosmetic reasons overseas should deliberation very cautiously astir nan agelong betterment and nan risks, and I would impulse against it unless good informed astir wherever they are seeking treatment," he said.

A increasing market

While this process whitethorn sound for illustration unbearable medieval torture to many, request for it is rising.

Analysts estimate nan world limb-lengthening manufacture could almost double by nan extremity of nan decade, from astir $4 cardinal (€3.3 billion) successful 2021 to up to $8.6 cardinal by 2030.

Costs for nan room alteration wildly. In nan UK, backstage curen tin costs much than £50,000 (€57,000), pinch immoderate surgeons charging up to £240,000.

Turkey, accelerated becoming a hub for aesculapian tourism, offers nan process for €28,000.