Understanding the leg-lengthening process US man spent ₹1.35 crore on to increase height by five inches

"While it is a safe procedure, like all surgical procedures, it comes with its own set of complications," said Dr Jashan Vishwanath, Consultant, Orthopaedics, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre

By: Lifestyle Desk

New Delhi | April 21, 2023 10:00 AM IST

4 min read

"Even when I was in high school, I was always unhappy with my height. It gradually began to affect me. I just didn't feel good about myself, and was unhappy about it most of the time," he said. (Source: Cosmetic Lane/ Twitter)

After years of being bullied for his short stature, an American man resorted to two excruciating surgeries to increase his height by five inches. Moses Gibson, a 41-year-old man from Minneapolis, Minnesota felt insecure about his height from an early age. Reportedly, he even sought out a spiritual healer as well as tried several medications in an effort to grow taller. But nothing worked, and he felt that surgery was his only option, for which he spent a total of ₹1.35 crore. Today, Moses is five inches taller than before and hopes to reach his goal height of 5 feet 10 inches by June.

“Even when I was in high school, I was always unhappy with my height. It gradually began to affect me. I just didn’t feel good about myself, and was unhappy about it most of the time,” he told Kennedy News and Media.

After working as an Uber driver at night and a software programmer during the day, Moses was able to save money for his procedure. Moses’ tibia and fibula bones were broken during the ‘painful’ treatment last month, and magnetic, limb-lengthening nails were inserted into those bones.

He now has to use a height-lengthening device three times a day, which pulls the cut bone apart a millimeter at a time. His body will be stimulated to produce new bone tissue to fill the gap to reach his target height.

What is the leg-lengthening process?

According to the NHS, the process is known as distraction. “Using surgery, the leg bone is broken and fixed to a special frame to stretch it, allowing new bone to form in between the two broken ends of the bone. Over time, this bone gets stronger until it’s able to support your weight,” it read.

Dr Jashan Vishwanath, Consultant, Orthopaedics, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre said, “The first step in bone lengthening is to cut the bone that needs to be elongated. Once the bone has been cut, its two ends are gradually separated, stimulating the new bone to grow and fill the gap during lengthening. This separation process is called distraction. It is possible with a device placed both internally or externally.”

The expert added that during each lengthening treatment, a bone is lengthened by 2 inches or less. “In the lower limb, 2 inches each can be gained in the tibia and the femur simultaneously making it 4 inches,” he told indianexpress.com.
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He noted that while it is a safe procedure, like all surgical procedures, it comes with its own set of complications. “Infection, nerve damage, muscle damage, dislocations, arthritis, fracture and bone lengthening at inappropriate rate. But risk of these complications is very low,” Dr Vishwanath added.

Dr Vishwanath said that there are other ways of increasing height naturally, such as supplements like human growth hormone (if deficient), adequate vitamin D and calcium intake to keep bones strong, regular exercise and yoga.

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Despite the painful surgery, Moses is happy with the results. “You go home, and you have a week or two for some healing to happen before you get the device to start lengthening,” he said.

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