The Extreme Lengths To Grow Taller: Limb-Lengthening Surgery In India | Undercover Asia 

"He doesn't want people around him to find out" *Suddenly grows 10cm taller in his 30s*

someone once said, if you can stand up straight and walk perfectly, there's nothing wrong with your height

I got this done when I was 11. I had the fixator on for about 3-4 months. I was born with a physical anomaly and joint infection. My right leg was inches shorter than my left. This would go on to cause me to have severe hip pain, plus a difficulty in being able to walk and stand with ease. My parents took the difficult decision of getting this issue fixed for me. I’m so beyond grateful. I’m now 23 and my legs are of the same length!! I had some other issues too (my knee is damaged and depleted due to the joint infection I had at birth) so I have to do regular physiotherapy etc. That’s a completely separate issue. But the limb lengthening was successful. I’ll be happy to answer any questions on this! 😊 Can’t imagine getting this done for aesthetic purposes though. While I survived it, it was extremely difficult and did cause complications / subsequent surgeries. My parents only took the decision to get this done for me because it was the only option to avoid a life of chronic pain and the inability to walk.

I have watched several documentaries about this subject, and noticed that many people who undergo this procedure expect a quick recovery. I mean, both your legs are broken, your bones, tissue, and muscle need time to recover, hopefully without complications. This is not an overnight solution. It's radical and with many chances of complications.

I'd rather stay short than drilling my bones to death.

I am 5.2" from Nepal. I am 45 now. Probably shortest against my peers. I take faster strides. I work harder and smarter. I've learnt to accept for who I am. I smile care free. I used to be bothered in my teens. Now, I walk tall, with head held high. Let your personality define you....not height. Smile, and the world smiles with you. Go well, be safe.

I'm not a fan of my 148cm height, but I've learned to accept it and value my good health instead. I did experience some bullying, but thankfully my environment is not as toxic as what others suffer from. Sending my prayer to those who feel so insecure about their physiques. In the end, if you really think about it, no physical appearance is worth the pain you have to go through. I'm not talking about those who suffer from deformity or certain syndrome, more like people who do it for cosmetic procedures.

Love Dr. Sarina and how conscious he is of the psychological impact of what he does. Also because he is so jolly yet proud of how his daughter went into the specialty to fill that need.

"Pain is limited , Height is eternal" - That guy probably

I took physics class with a Russian professor and he used to joke that the reason Putin was able to become president was because his short stature allowed nerve impulses to travel to his brain at a faster rate compared to his taller enemies so he was able to think about how to kill them off before they had a chance to consider it lol.

In France, decades ago, we used to have a very popular comedian called "Coluche" who mentioned something about this particular issue: "In this life, there are no tall people, nor small ones. The ideal length for legs is when our feet touch the ground" Words to live by.

I'm 19 and 4'11. I have been blessed with being surrounded by people who always made me feel positive about my height. I've always been called adorable and got a lot of affection so I grew up super confident and I feel so grateful for it now

Undergoing a procedure to be taller, but is being operated on by people shorter than him. I see it as more psychological problem than physical

insecurity with ur body can literally kill you in this kind of society!

As someone who is short, I can definitely attest to the sadness that comes with it. It feels like the world is constantly against me just because of my height. No matter what I do, it feels like I will always be at a disadvantage because of my size. One of the most frustrating things about being short is that it's hard to be taken seriously. People always seem to underestimate me and assume that I'm not as capable or intelligent as someone who is taller. It's like they can't see past my height to the person I am inside. Finding clothes and other items that fit properly is another constant struggle. It's hard to find jeans that are the right length, or shoes that don't swim on my feet. And forget about trying to find fashionable clothes - it feels like everything is made for taller people, and I'm just left with the scraps. Being short can also be isolating. It's tough to find friends or romantic partners who are closer to my own height, and I often feel like I don't fit in with groups of taller people. It's like the world is designed for taller people, and I'm just left on the sidelines. Overall, being short is just a never-ending source of sadness and frustration for me. It feels like no matter what I do, I will always be at a disadvantage because of my height. It's just one more thing that holds me back and makes me feel small and insignificant.

Weeks without being able to walk can be put in perspective when you realize that with hip replacement surgery, they have you up and walking the same day. I've had both my hips replaced and was walking with a frame after just a couple of hours and home that same day each time, so what these people go through is shocking. After the pain of bone-on-bone arthritis, even the trauma of surgery is a reduction of pain.

His wife doesn’t know? Imagine she thinks you are having surgery on your elbow and you come home with braces on your tibia.

shoes with 2cm platforms and styling his hair 1cm higher would have been a lot cheaper and no pain

This is an excellent video. I have searched for other videos like this and have been unable to find one with such production quality and length.

Ohhhh kudos to this Specialist Ortho doctor. He is so very careful. He treated the patients with utmost respect and care. Applause to the OP Team.

I had this operation done at 18 years old because I was born with a specific condition that meant my legs were of different lengths and were getting worse. It was by far the worst pain I have felt in my life. I cannot imagine someone going through this voluntarily! So heartbreaking

Imagine going into surgery and your surgeon is still reading the text book on how to use the equipment right outside.

I've learned society will always have something to say about you. If you're tall...it's a problem....if you're short....it's a problem. I've learned that society has it's own self-esteem issues. I'm 5'8 and loving it. Screw society.

i suffered from short left femur and had to undergo this surgery on my left leg in 2012. it was a failure cause they just wanted to try and error. the real reason i was wearing it just to straighten my left leg cause it went bent to almost 90 degree. i totally suffered for 3+ months and can’t go home at all including take a bath. i’m short for my height, always wishing for a taller height, but if i had to undergo this kind of surgery again, there’s no way i’m gonna do it again. it wasn’t worth the pain and the suffering

Perks of being short: When you hug someone taller than you, you can feel their heartbeat.

Imagine going into surgery and the surgeons are still reading the instruction manual on the device they are using on you 😂

Very educational 😊 greatful to peopel that made this video happen just to make it as an awareness 🙏

When Ajay was 13 or 14, he had the operation done? Why not wait till 19 or 20 years old, because he probably would've grown throughout those years and may have not needed surgery.

Teach your children "To not Judge anyone on appearance" this is every parents duty to do so. Half of the problems of India will be solved. 😭

Doctor about to cut both his legs: Do you have any questions Amit: Will i have access to my phone?

Hey, I get it. I'm 5'6" and I've literally lost count of how many times I've been rejected JUST due to height alone (They have told me it's strictly due to my height things aren't working out). It's debilitating and really, really messes with your confidence every single day when you're out and about. Sometimes I've been suicidal at my lowest points because it's such a pervasive aspect about yourself when dealing with others. I'm thinking of getting this done however I'm going to save up as much money as I can to make sure I don't go to a dodgy looking clinic. Please support men (and women) who need to get this done for the sake of their mental health.

The strange part to me is females wanting to be taller. Most men prefer shorter women.

Hiring short models and actors could actually help with this social issue. The same goes for tall women.

Can't imagine having a surgery that's so rare or never done to the point where the surgeons have to study an instruction manual DURING the surgery for a COSMETIC procedure, no way in hell.

So ladies have all these cosmetic options to increase breast and booty sizes. But when a man wants to do a surgery to feel better about himself everyone suddenly disagrees?? Let them do whatever they want if they decide to.

Patient: Gets a bit taller, still gets bullied

"Human body is an amazing thing and it recovers." So is human mind. But the problem is both of them remembers.

It's not their bodies that need to be broken and then reset. But rather, it is society and such beliefs that needs resetting. Thanks for posting and be safe 🙏

I'm 5'6 feet man in my 29, I know I'm short, but I decided to increase my value to society..... then they started to respect me more even though I'm short... its not about height, it always about how to accept yourself and work your way up in the society.

The fact that i can see people make fun of short guys even after seeing this😢

Not cool hiding the whole thing from his wife. If something happens to him, she'll be the one stuck taking care of him for the rest of his life. Something like this should be a mutual decision imo

This makes me feel better about being short. I would love to be taller but not enough to do this. Please love yourself more.

I'm female and 158 (5'1), which isn't even strange, and I was still bullied and teased to the point where I refused to wear flat shoes for years. It would be much worse if I was male. Lucky for me, I was able to overcome it after leaving high school, it took years but by my mid 20s my height became my favourite thing about myself. I'm small and I love it.

The women commenting have no idea what it's like to be a short man in this world. The only comparison would be a womens weight...Which can be changed with diet and exercise. So imagine a women 5'2 and a weight of over 200 lbs and being stuck with that for the rest of your life, no matter what..your stuck at that weight..you were just born that way. Then all of a sudden there's a risky surgery to remove 60 plus pounds forever! It would become the most popular surgery ever!

Society is judgemental, discriminatory, shallow and vain.

Anyone else caressing their legs rn, thinking "I would never do this to you " XD

I like this doctor. A man whom is willing to ask for help is a good guy. For a doctor, it is amazing. Most are unwilling to admit their knowledge limits.

I'm 5'11 My father is 5'8 and my mother is 5'4 Nobody in my family is above 5'10 but I am ..I think because I was into football and basketball my whole life It really helped..I started playing basketball when I was 10 now I'm 19 ..if you think you're below 14 and you've a doubt that your height is not gonna grow above 5'8 ..then you should really get into sports ..it really helps 🙏

Wait, the guy ALREADY has a wife and ALREADY has a job in the US (most common goal in India) AND STILL he wants to grow a few inches taller? Why do they even sign them up for the surgery?

My legs bone are scared now, I can feel them growing naturally 😳

As a short person, I can understand why people feel the need to get this done. But it would be easier if we all just accepted each other and groups up a bit .... emotionally

I am 100% sure bro was told "It's over for you"

I am 6'3", there was a girl in my class, I was really into her. She was like 5'4". Once she said that she'll never date a guy below 6' and from that day onwards I despised her for her mentality. Because of Toxic people like these some people go through depression.

18:36 exactly “ ...5’8”is a good height... ” My mom is 5’11”. My dad is 5’6” They love each other greatly, and have been married for almost 30 years

Ankita is SO gorgeous?! Her facial features are so pretty she could totally be a model! I hope she finds people who accept her ❤

I would be really interested to know how only lengthening one half of the leg, ie the lower leg, affects your gait and athletic ability. I ride horses and have always been told I have a long thigh length and shorter lower leg in comparison, and I know a lot of women who ride with short calves struggle to physically get their lower leg on the horse, so it makes communication more difficult. I wonder how this sort of surgery would affect biomechanics. No one seems to go into that because I suppose its assumed that most of these patients are doing it for looks and aren't concerned about how it could affect athletic ability. I wonder if the last patient who chose to also lengthen the upper leg had some improvements in his ability to move easier or more naturally afterwards? 🤔

Anyone else got aching legs just at the thought of having them broken? I feel like mine are numb right now x

The female dr who operated on Ajay should be taken to court. First he was a teenager, still growing!! Second, he and his family weren't well informed of the procedure.

as a short male having height of 5 feet 3 inch I can feel you all whether you are a male or female I feel you. I have been mocked for my height by my own parents and my elder sister. Yeah people in college and school also mocked me, bullied me and put me down but listen to me its upto you whether you want to take this surgery or not that's your personal choice. But what I want to say is that please be emotionally strong. I was brave enough to fight, kick back my bullies and put people right into their place when these things started taking toll on me. There were a lot of incident in my life where people have mocked me but earlier I used to take these things seriously but now from past 3 years I have started giving people back what they deserved. So either be strong enough to take your stand or go back and whine like baby

It is heart-breaking to read all the beautiful people's comments who are unique and their own person but feel less. Love and value yourself and others will too. Ignore shallow cruel people. Remember there is only one of you and you are a lot more than your height. Love to all you beauties xxxx

"I took my mind off the pain by reminding myself that when I eventually did stand up, I'd be exactly two inches closer to the stars."

As a 5 feet man, I can understand the pain. Many a times I have been subjected to bullying because of my height. It takes a big emotional toll. I don't know what to say...

Very glad to see where these techniques have been able to help people with real physical anomalies/deformities, but using these techniques to create deformities is just mind boggling.

This is a good documentary which shows the realities of the procedure. I believe that it should only done where there are bodily defects caused after birth, accident etc but not for cosmetic purposes.

Surgeon: relax David Patient: my name isn’t David Surgeon: I know, *my name is David* - literally this guy

Being short means the tall person have to bow their head to u. At least thats what my grandpa told me... 😭

great documentry . . thanks CNA

Do you think its worth it for a guy 5'10? I am abt to join boxing and muay thai. So im insecure abt the recovery, does it goes completely back to normal? I already lift heavy( 200kg on leg press for reps) while i be able to get the same strength back? Also does it block my room for improvement in strength, agility and overall speed?

Amit wants to gain respect among his colleagues and he believes this is the only way.. Me : change your bloody colleagues man!!

I'm 5'7 and I'm from Portugal, which makes me more or less short. I often feel bad about my height, specially when meeting someone from the opposite sex. Thanks to the society and they way of thinking, I'm unable to go around it, the height has become a decisive factor, because it's rare that a girl chooses a shorter guy. They all say "what matters is the inside" is bullshit. Not all of them, but most of them. And no, I'm not criticizing women, it's the opposite! I'm saying that society made us think that a look is more important than respect, dignity and morality. Let's teach our children that looks are superficial.

My brother was born with a leg shorter and had three operations when he was 5 years old 30 years ago. He's still limping because he didn't want anymore painful treatments.

Im five foot 2 inches. I live in the usa. And im perfectly happy with how the creator made me, i am how im suposed to be. No cultural norms that exclude me or try to make me feel less tha or somethings wrong with me will ever make me feel like i need to change anything about myself. Its society that needs to change. And thats what people need to realize the most. We dont need to be changed or fixed society dose. Because there's nothing wrong with me.

WAIT, Nobody's talking about the honesty and integrity of the Ortho Doctor & the Psychologist daughter!? Incredible that the daughter counsels the wannabe's to re-think about their decision.. (y)

I was born with one leg extremely shorter than my other one. I undergone 23 surgeries , 7 of which were limb lengthening surgeries as they kept lengthening it to keep up with the growth of my other leg through growth spurts and teenage years. I currently have two more operations left, one to make it an exact length as my right leg & the other one is for my knee so I could bend it. Limb lengthening is not a joke, it gave me childhood trauma , the worst part of it is not the surgery or the nails and screws you see - but the aggressive physical therapy that is so painful. The reason why it’s more painful is because the fixation device is used to lengthen bones, while there is no device to lengthen your muscles - physical therapy has to be used - just imagine someone stretching your muscles two times a day for an hour each. At time your legs bleed, I’ve had my leg broken three times In physical therapy - the complications of the surgery are many. I even had an infection one time which caused the doctors to scrape all the infection out of my bone and insert a tube in my heart for fast antibiotics. So in the end is it worth it? For me if I could go back as a child, I would convince my parents to amputate. No matter what it will never be like an actual limb, and it would save yourself from the mental and physical trauma you have to endure. If anyone has questions about this, please let me know :) I’d be happy to answer anyone that’s thinking about going through with the surgery.

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu

My friend who was 5'6 is now 5,11 because of this procedure & thanks to this Muay Thai training from early childhood it took him just 8 months to recover

I’m a 5’9 girl and would do anything to be a couple inches shorter. Shorter girls wish they could be me, no ones ever happy

She's beautiful and smart. No need to be tall, im glad she changed her mind.

Society is indeed cruel. Its society which starts by pointing out our flaws and creating an inferiority complex in the individual...its not external beauty but the internal beauty (character) which matters...work on your internal beauty and get stronger....Dont judge a book by its cover is what kids should be strongly taught.

Im sorry for all the short kings and queens who endured bullying from people around them. As you can see in the video, it is not worth it. Stand tall, be confident.

Meanwhile in Philippines Parents: go sleep after lunch so you grow taller.

Putin is not tall but when he walks into a room, I'm sure he is probably the most confident and charismatic person in there.

I am 179cm… sometimes wished I was a little taller, but I’m honestly fine, everywhere I’ve been, I’m at least more than average and the 2 girlfriends I’ve had where more than okay with my height… self confidence is hard to come by at times, just try and find happiness in who you are, you are perfect just the way you are; don’t focus on societal norms, they aren’t good for anyone.

This is actually a good chance for India to increase it's medical diversity. It's sad this media telling this as a scary surgery that always have a big problem. In fact if the doctor (which has been worked at this in up to 20 years and one of the few people who met the soviet doctor) is a great thing. They just need to track down the root cause of infection and treat it

35:40 She took studying before exam to a whole new level

"A couple of centimeters shouldn't hurt" lmfaooo my brain is hurting by listening to that phrase

like everyone else I was born short and was shorter than most in my classes at school, my body went crazy at 15 and for a year I grew 25mm a month so I do know what it is like to be below average for my age. you get a hard time for being different, but when you are tall people expect a lot of you, especially in sports where being severely dyslexic, I had no hand dominance so i was clumsym yes I could write and catch with both hands but my dexterity was below average so I got a hard time in a rugby mad culture

Cant believe someone volunteered to be the first person for a new leg lengthening procedure, especially since the current one has many issues.

People in the comments trying to sound like they are good people when they arent even aware that this is a world where the tall is prefered. There is even an statistics that proves height plays a role in people's careers...

Imagine waking up to your surgeon on a video call for instructions on the operation, I would die 💀

Being short is death sentence

Crazy watch in a few years these men having crazy issues with their legs

Being taller, fair and good looking will matter until a certain age. Unless one is a celebrity, nobody will care

I can’t ever remember paying any attention to anyone’s height at work (IT). And any impressions about height are quickly overshadowed by levels of performance.

The right surrounding is a solution to this. If you have people who don’t care about social standards and who accept you the way you are - this is a happy and healthy life.

For those on the height journey, daily stretching and 3 bottles of Height-Ryzer (This is the name of the supp...) Supplement did wonders. 💪 At 33, I was 5'10", and now, 4 months later, I've reached 6'1". Your video is a gem! 🌟🚀

That’s why self-love is important, love yourself cause you know your worth despite other’s criticism

Is he that delusional that he thinks his wife will be okay that he spent more than what most ppl make a year in surgery (70k), lied about what he was doing to himself, and changed his appearance with such a risky surgery????

This is what society has done to men.

I am 6’1 woman and my height gets me reacted by men and was bullied by kids at school But I found my true love who is a little taller than me and we love it. Our kids are both taller than us. 6’5 ect