Inside the world of limb-lengthening surgery

Leg-lengthening surgery has become an increasingly popular option for the height conscious. Sean T Smith speaks to patients finding their feet after a painful and costly process

It can take over 80 days to recover safely from the procedure (Wanna Be Taller)

Each year, increasing numbers of people, particularly young men, are opting to have their legs surgically broken and then gradually extended so that they can gain a few precious inches of extra height.

Oliver* explains how the decision to travel to Istanbul for limb-lengthening surgery came about over time. “I always felt quite insecure about my height I’d had therapy sessions about it before but they never really helped,” he tells me. “Then I came across other people getting this surgery on Instagram and was reading about how it affected their confidence positively. I decided it was worth the pain and money to get rid of this insecurity once and for all.”

Combining income from casual work as a freelance writer and waiter, Oliver managed to save enough money for the surgery that would boost his height from 5ft 6in up to the psychologically important male average milestone of 5ft 9in.