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Doctor Says He Can Add Up To Six Inches To People's Height With Stretching Procedure

Doctor Says He Can Add Up To Six Inches To People's Height With Stretching Procedure

He inserts a device which 'slowly stretches' patients with the help of a remote

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A Las Vegas doctor says he can add up to six inches to people's height with a procedure that 'stretches' people, but his specialist surgery doesn't come cheap.

Surgeon and orthopaedic specialist Dr Debiparshad says he has developed a procedure in which he will 'cut the leg bones' and then inserts a device that 'slowly stretches them out' with the help of a remote control.

Now if the description of the procedure made your eyes water, wait until you hear the price. For the specialist treatment you'll be parting with $75,000 (£59,787) - but one patient has sung its praises saying it's given him a 'huge boost in confidence'.

Irving Rodríguez (left) before the surgery with Dr Debiparshad (right).
Jam Press

Patient Irving Rodríguez, who is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, was 5ft 4in tall when he first visited LimbplastX Institute in Las Vegas in December 2019, but six months on he now stands at 5ft 6.7in.

He said: "I first decided that I wanted to change my height when I was in high school.

"There were always social remarks, such as small jokes about being short, and I was even considered unfit for certain positions just because of my below-average height.

"I had my surgery in December 2019 and my initial height was 165cm [5ft 4in]. I chose The LimbplastX Institute as I knew that Dr Debiparshad used the best technology to perform this procedure.

"As a fellow doctor myself, I know how important technology is to the success of a procedure like this, so that was very important to me."

Irving admits that the procedure was painful, but says the results were rapid.

He said: "It took about six months to heal and I can sometimes feel the rigidness as I continue the lengthening process.

The X-rays show the stretching device Dr Debiparshad uses on his patients.
Jam Press

"Initially, it was one of the most painful experiences in my life, as with any surgery, but the pain became very manageable with proper medication and therapy.

"[The results] were evident very quickly after surgery. I started using the external remote control a couple of days after the procedure and it increased my height about 1mm a day until I reached my ideal height."

Explaining how it works, Dr Debiparshad said: "Cosmetic limb-lengthening is an elective procedure where I cut the leg bones - either the femur (upper leg bone) or tibia (lower leg bone) - and insert a device that slowly stretches them out to permanently extend a person's height.

Patient Irving Rodríguez (left) after the stretching surgery, standing almost three inches taller alongside Dr Debiparshad (right).
Jam Press

"It's an X-ray based surgery where I make four to six small incisions into the leg, allowing access to the hollow part of the bone, where I insert a device that responds to an external remote control that the patient controls at home.

"Once the device is set, I place screws at the top and bottom of the device to lock into position. This is done on each leg. Post-surgery, the external remote control is used by the patient to simply increase their height by 1mm per day at the touch of a button, slowly stretching the legs to increase their height.

"Patients can expect to gain up to six inches in height across two lengthening surgeries. This bone-lengthening process is usually painless, and the surgery takes about an hour and a half to complete.

X-rays showing the procedure.
Jam Press

"Patients begin physical therapy the next day, and can expect to get back to normal activities within a couple of weeks post-surgery."

As with any surgery it has its risks, with Dr Debiparshad adding: "Similar to any other type of surgical procedure, there is a risk of infection or transfusion, and specific to this surgery, the bone may heal too quickly, not fast enough or the patient could experience muscle tightening.

"Additionally, patients may lose some high-level athletic ability to get to that end stage. It is important to keep in mind that there is a trade-off with everything."

However, Irving is delighted with his results, he said: "I feel like I am in complete harmony. My torso and lower body proportions are much better, and they look more adequate in my opinion.

"Other than my wardrobe that fits much better, I do feel a sense of better social acknowledgement.

"The psychology of height has always been a big factor in social acceptance, I believe, and it can even impact an individual's economic and relationship success. Overall, it has given me a huge boost in confidence personally and professionally."

Featured Image Credit: Jam Press

Topics: Interesting, US