A doctor and TikTok star claims he can stretch patients' limbs by up to 5.6 inches, and charges as much as $155,000 (£112,100) for the procedure. He tells all in the clip below:
Orthopaedic surgeon Shabab Mahboubian, 45, has been performing height-lengthening surgeries for more than 10 years.
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The process, which involves cutting through bone and adding an adjustable 'nail', doesn't come cheap, with a price tag of $75,000 (£54,200) for lengthening of femurs, $85,000 (£61,500) for lengthening of tibias and a combined package for $155,000.
Mahboubian, from Burbank in California, said: "For the past few years, I have been able to not only make people taller and walk normally, but I have also been able to raise patients' confidence and help them achieve their lifelong goals.
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"Many people have always dreamt of being taller and I feel humbled to be able to permanently make people taller."
It takes between three and four months after the surgery before patients can walk without assistance, and six to eight months until they're ready to do any sport.
Mahboubian performs between 30 and 40 procedures a year at his practice, the Height Lengthening Institute in Burbank, but also spends some of his time on TikTok (@heightlengthing), where he has more than 28,000 followers - and where one of his videos recently went viral.
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The clip, posted on 7 July and subsequently viewed more than 6.8 million times, shared a client's recovery after surgery.
The man was originally 5'5", but is on track to be 5'8".
Explaining the process, Mahboubian said: "The first step in limb-lengthening surgery is to make a small incision just above the hip (for femurs) or at the knee (for tibias) and then surgically cut through the width of the bone to be lengthened.
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"Once the bone has been cut into two sections, the adjustable 'nail' (Stryde Precice nail) is fitted inside the centre of the bone and secured with locking screws.
"There is a magnetic device inside the nail.
"The next phase of this procedure can take several weeks to months to complete.
"It is called the distraction phase because the cut bone is gently pulled apart using an ERC device to gain about 1mm a day.
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"The magnet on the ERC device turns which communicates with the nail inside the bone, and there's gears inside the nail which makes your bone lengthen."
Around a year after the process is started, patients return to Mahboubian's clinic to have the nails removed.
He continued: "Over time, the body creates new bone tissue to fill in the gap until the patient's desired height is achieved.
"Most candidates are able to increase their height up to 8 cm (3.1 inches) with one lengthening procedure (usually femurs) without any issues.
"Additional lengthening of the tibias can be performed to increase height by an additional 6.5 cm (2.5 inches).
"The Precice nail can withstand up to 75lbs of weight bearing on each side, and you will need to use a walker for up to four months until your bone has healed.
"You can go back to your full athletic capability a year after you undergo the procedure - it's vital that you are flexible before surgery and do the proper physical therapy after surgery.
"The new bone that forms is actually stronger than your natural bone!"
Featured Image Credit: Jam Press
Topics: Doctor, News, US News, Surgery, TikTok