Leg-Lengthening: Cheaper Height-Gain Surgeries Carry Serious Risks, UAE Surgeon Warns

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Cosmetic leg-lengthening surgery has recently gained worldwide attention, but a leading UAE-based surgeon has cautioned that the procedure should only be undertaken at reputable, experienced centres, highlighting serious risks at lower-cost clinics.

Patients can gain up to 15cm, but it comes with a hospital stay and post-operative care lasting months.

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According to British daily The Guardian, the NHS in England has issued a stark warning, urging people against the surgery. The warning comes amid renewed interest in the procedure following its depiction in the romantic comedy-drama Materialists, in which a character gains six inches in height.

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CEO and founder of Paley Middle East Clinic, Dr Dror Paley, said many surgeons offering stature-lengthening operations lack the expertise to prevent or treat complications, yet perform the surgery for purely financial reasons“as it is a self-pay procedure”.

“Most patients go to less reputable centres because of price. The consequences can be severe - they are gambling with their function,” said the surgeon, who is credited with performing around 25,000 limb-lengthening and reconstruction-related procedures.

Costs and caution

Costs for the surgery in the UAE are high, with the implantable lengthening nails themselves costing $50,000. Hospitalisation, surgeon's fees, and comprehensive post-operative care add significantly to the total.

“When you add all this up it is expensive,” Dr Paley emphasised, noting that cheaper overseas clinics often cut costs by using external fixators, less reliable implants, or minimal follow-up care.

Dr Paley warned of serious risks when the procedure is performed at less reputable centres.“In China, the results have been so disastrous that the government has made it illegal to do stature lengthening,” he said.“In (some) centres abroad, they have such high complication rates that they come to me and I have to fix their complications.”

The demand for the surgery in the UAE is limited. However, the country serves as a medical tourism hub, offering patients from Asia, Africa, and Europe a safer alternative to budget clinics elsewhere.

Patients can realistically gain up to 8cm from bilateral femur lengthening, or 15cm when including tibia surgery, with safe rehabilitation timelines. While some may seek the procedure purely to gain height, Dr Paley stressed that the choice of surgeon and facility is more important than the patient's suitability, as most patients are medically good candidates.

“The problem is affordability for most patients, which is why they go to less reputable centres because they make their decisions based on price. The consequences, however, are very severe,” he said.“Leg-lengthening surgery is only safe when performed with expertise and proper follow-up.”

Procedure and recovery

Originally developed to correct deformities or injuries, the surgery involves cutting the leg bones and gradually lengthening them using implantable nails or external devices. It requires meticulous surgical technique, daily physical therapy, and close follow-up to prevent complications such as muscle contractures, nerve damage, infections, or permanent disability.

At his UAE clinic, patients remain locally for the entire lengthening process, which can take up to 15 weeks depending on the amount of height gain. Specialised physical therapy is provided daily, and patients are seen by a surgeon every two weeks. According to the clinic's statistics, the risk of needing a second surgery to treat complications is less than one per cent, making it one of the safest worldwide.

“Lengthening begins one week after surgery alongside physical therapy. Patients lengthen at one millimetre a day using a special remote control, and use walkers or crutches for up to five months,” Dr Paley explained.

“After completing the lengthening, patients continue exercises at home, following instructions from the three-month in-clinic programme. By five months post-surgery, they can stop using walkers or crutches. A month later, they can start running or jumping, returning to sports and all activities. By one year, patients are approximately 85 per cent back to normal, and by two years, they reach 100 per cent of their prior level of competitive function.”

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