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NY Man 'Grows' Six Inches Through Surgery

Discussion in 'In the News' started by Bliss, Feb 24, 2012.

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Bliss Well-Known Member

OUCH, reading this hurts.

By DENISE MARTINEZ-RAMUNDO and BILL RITTER | ABC News – Thu, Feb 23, 2012

- At five foot, six inches, Apotheosis was shorter than the average American male and very unhappy about it.

So he did something other men who feel short might consider unthinkable: he opted for costly, painful surgeries to make himself "grow" a total of six inches.

"I realized that the world looked at me a certain way that I didn't look at myself in that certain way," said the 37-year-old New Yorker, who goes by the pseudonym "Apotheosis" in online forums and asked that "20/20" not use his real name. "I wanted the way I felt about myself and the way the world felt about me to be similar."

Apotheosis is one of a "growing" number of men pursuing limb-lengthening procedures for cosmetic reasons.

Dr. Dror Paley, a renowned osteopathic surgeon at the Paley Institute at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., performed 650 leg-lengthening surgeries last year.

Most of Paley's patients have severe deformities or dwarfism, but he also sees cosmetic patients.

"The majority who come for cosmetic limb lengthening have what we call, height dysphoria. They're unhappy with their height," said Paley, adding that therapy has little effect on changing a patient's views. "It's one of the few psychologic-psychiatric disorders that you can actually cure with the knife."

That is precisely the reason why Akash Shukla, 25, decided to undergo the procedure. At age 18, the New Jersey man was devastated to find out that his final height would be 4'11 ½.

"I felt like my short stature was kind of causing a void inside me- an emptiness in my heart, if you will," he said.

And not everyone was encouraging.

"There are people that have said, 'just accept what God gave you. But, in some way, shape or form everybody is trying to alter what god gave them. If God gave kids crooked teeth, they get braces," said Shukla, who is now almost 5'2" thanks to the surgery.

But limb lengthening is certainly not like straightening teeth.

Only a few doctors, including Paley, perform the procedure in the United States.

Surgeons break the leg bone in two and implant a state-of-the-art telescopic rod into the middle of the broken bones which then pulls the bone apart very slowly, about one millimeter a day.

New bone grows around it and tissues like the muscle, the nerves, the arteries, and the skin, regenerate as well.

At about $85,000, the procedure is expensive and the process lengthy. It takes at least three months to complete it and it requires demanding and excruciating physical therapy.

Apotheosis is still in recovery and he does not want to go public even though this is his second surgery. "I am still lengthening right now and there could be further complications and I don't want to talk about it successfully until it's been successful."

But he is candid about his leg lengthening journey on www.makemetaller.org, an online forum for people interested in the procedure.

"I am not telling anyone they should do this surgery, but I am laying out my experiences and the risks that I have taken and the successes that I have had and let people make their own decision," he said.

Many go to the site looking for advice on doctors, often foreign, as the cost for the surgery could be less than half as much overseas.

Apotheosis traveled to Germany to have internal rods implanted and now he is the one responsible for controlling the lengthening, twisting his legs back and forth to extend the rod inside.

Despite the pain and financial burden, patients like Apotheosis say those few more inches of height can make a big difference.

"When I walk down the street a different person perceived differently by the world for the rest of my life, you know, I am who I want to be now," he said.

He chose the moniker Apotheosis, he said, because "it means to become godlike -- become the best you can be. It's a Greek word."

"And that's kind of what I want? And I am not trying to be godlike; I am trying to be the best me that I can be."
Click to expand...

http://news.yahoo.com/york-man-grows-six-inches-surgery-184123767--abc-news.html

This story airs tonight on "The Cutting Edge," a "20/20" special, 10 p.m. 20/20, ABC.

~

Bliss, Feb 24, 2012

#1
The Dark King Well-Known Member

Smh. Just sad.

The Dark King, Feb 24, 2012

#2
Esoterik Dreadz Member

The Dark Knight said: ↑

Smh. Just sad.
Click to expand...

Why though? Women get breast implants all the time. No one ever says anything many men re unhappy with their height. Women say all the time they always want tall dark and handsome, so if a guy wants to be that, why hate? I'm just shy of 5'10 myself and always wanted to be at least 6'. Not saying i would do this surgery (ouch) but i can understand why some guys would want to do it.

Esoterik Dreadz, Feb 24, 2012

#3
z Well-Known Member

If you got the money do it, we live in superficial world, baby.

z, Feb 25, 2012

#4
JordanC Well-Known Member

At first I thought this was going to be one of those ads with Ron Jeremy. Oh...not grow there. Sorry.

They have been doing this surgery for a while on midgets/dwarfs to get them to have closer to normal height. Now it is going to be for normal height albeit short, people to just be taller. As long at they have the money and understand the risks I guess if science is able and they want yeah like someone else said it's like fake boobs. Go for it.

JordanC, Feb 25, 2012

#5
Nebula J New Member

Shit, if it makes him feel comfortable with himself, more power to him

Nebula J, Feb 25, 2012

#6
Nebula J New Member

The Dark Knight said: ↑

Smh. Just sad.
Click to expand...

injecting your biceps with copious amounts of synthol is pretty sad

this isn't

Nebula J, Feb 25, 2012

#7
4north1side2 Well-Known Member

If I had the money for this and roided up ::BAWSE STATUS::

4north1side2, Feb 25, 2012

#8
saintaugusta New Member

I wonder if it makes him sad that 5'2" is the tallest he'll get? Also, won't he look weird because his arms will be proportionately shorter? Nothing funnier-looking than a person with short arms...

Still, I'm all for people trying to be happy, and if it takes something as small as a physical surgery to help him in that process, than he should do what he needs to do.

saintaugusta, Feb 25, 2012

#9
andreboba Well-Known Member

This surgery has been popular among well-to-do families in Korea and Japan for YEARS.

I don't need it so it's hard for me to relate. I can understand I guess wanting to be taller if you really are short.

I've heard women in private say straight up they WILL NOT DATE men below a certain height, or have babies from a munchkin.:smt095

Takes balls to be a man.

andreboba, Feb 26, 2012

#10
Bliss Well-Known Member

andreboba said: ↑

This surgery has been popular among well-to-do families in Korea and Japan for YEARS.

I don't need it so it's hard for me to relate. I can understand I guess wanting to be taller if you really are short.

I've heard women in private say straight up they WILL NOT DATE men below a certain height, or have babies from a munchkin.:smt095

Takes balls to be a man.
Click to expand...

Well men who are tall like you do have their complaints...

Rob S. •
"You shorties are LUCKY. I'm 6'7" and I hate it. I'd give anything to have your problems! Sick of banging my head. Sick of pants that are too short. Sick of being uncomfortable on buses and planes. Sick of "one size fits all" fitting everyone but me."
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But on the flip-side...

"If you're a guy 6 feet or taller, please don't patronize other guys by saying you wish you're 5’6". Trust me, you DON’T want to be a 5’6” male in the U.S.

Studies have shown that short men earn LESS and get passed up for promotions to management positions more often than men who are tall. The same studies have shown that tall men are respected more (in the U.S., at least).

Tall men command presence and instill confidence. Americans like size (height); that’s all there is to it. Don’t deny this fact. Don’t look to exceptions to rebut my argument by pointing out the 1% of tall women who date shorter men or that 3% of short CEOs. It’s the American culture, plain and simple."
Click to expand...

But maybe this person said it best...

"Every short man I've ever known gets plenty of attention because they all have Napoleon complexes! They make great actors, hit men, karate experts, cops, politicians. They adore attention and do anything to get it. The fact that they are short never seems to enter into anything. Most are bullies and love to pick on taller people to prove some kind of point. They generally are egotistical bores."
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No scrap that.. I meant this one...

"Napoleon Bonaparte 5'7",Genghis Khan 5'1",Augustus Ceasar 5'9", Alexander the Great 5' 6", Adolf Hitler 5'8", Tamerlane 5'8", Attila the Hun was a dwarf! All of these people were all very short, under 5'10" and they all conquered the known world."
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Okay, maybe not such a good example...

..oh IDK, one guy said something like "to a woman, a fat, tall wallet is the only height a short man needs..."

Bliss, Feb 26, 2012

#11
The Dark King Well-Known Member

Kunoichi said: ↑

Well men who are tall like you do have their complaints...

But on the flip-side...

But maybe this person said it best...

No scrap that.. I meant this one...

Okay, maybe not such a good example...

..oh IDK, one guy said something like "to a woman, a fat, tall wallet is the only height a short man needs..."
Click to expand...

5'10 is short now? I guess things are moving up it use to be avergae lol

The Dark King, Feb 26, 2012

#12
Bliss Well-Known Member

The Dark Knight said: ↑

5'10 is short now? I guess things are moving up it use to be avergae lol
Click to expand...

It's still average, they just mentioned "all under" since Ceasar was 5'9".
Maybe 5ft 11 is more average, idk...
George Bush for example looks to be short, however when I was in his presence I was surprised to see he was much taller. He's 5'11".

.

Bliss, Feb 26, 2012

#13
The Dark King Well-Known Member

Kunoichi said: ↑

It's still average, they just mentioned "all under" since Ceasar was 5'9".
Maybe 5ft 11 is more average, idk...
George Bush for example looks to be short, however when I was in his presence I was surprised to see he was much taller. He's 5'11".

.
Click to expand...

Wow so I can be president lol

The Dark King, Feb 26, 2012

#14
Bliss Well-Known Member

The Dark Knight said: ↑

Wow so I can be president lol
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Sure. You can be Napoleon too, if you like..Whoever you want to be, you can be.

Bliss, Feb 26, 2012

#15
The Dark King Well-Known Member

Kunoichi said: ↑

Sure. You can be Napoleon too, if you like..Whoever you want to be, you can be.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement kid lol

I will be a short man who strikes fear in the hearts of men lol

The Dark King, Feb 26, 2012

#16
wtarshi Well-Known Member

i saw a program called taboo where a woman in romania (i think) doing exactly the same thing because models are tall and she wanted to be beautiful, or some such rot.

wtarshi, Feb 26, 2012

#17
curleyblonde New Member

I hope all that pain and money spent was worth it for him... I couldn't imagine going through all that, so much time spent in pain... ouch

curleyblonde, Feb 26, 2012

#18
The Dark King Well-Known Member

curleyblonde said: ↑

I hope all that pain and money spent was worth it for him... I couldn't imagine going through all that, so much time spent in pain... ouch
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Luckily your a woman and your height doesn't matter

The Dark King, Feb 26, 2012

#19
wtarshi Well-Known Member

The Dark Knight said: ↑

Luckily your a woman and your height doesn't matter
Click to expand...

Unless you're Romanian and believe only tall woman are beautiful

wtarshi, Feb 26, 2012

#20

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