GenInv – Health and Wellness

Is your low height a cause of distress or does it hampers your career in Basketball? Relax now, you can break away the taboo of small height. The technique famously called Ilizarov, can help you. The technique was invented by Professor Gavril Abramovich Ilizarov and involves step by step increasing the height of the person.

The procedure involves a detailed consultation with the patient where the patient is assessed and provided information regarding the procedure and possible complic

ations. The surgeon then constructs a customized apparatus using pins and wires that are attached to the affected limb and surgery is performed percutaneosuly on bone. The whole frame is called external fixator. Post fixation of the fixator the patient is discharged from hospital after a week. The bone lengthening starts usually after 1-2weeks when the adjustments in the external fixator is started and is done 4 times per day. This adjustment shifts the ends of the bone, the usual rate of sepera

ting the ends is 1mm/day. The patient is regularly assessed by x-rays for detecting any early complications. After desired length is reached the adjustment is stpped and the fixator is removed once new bone has assumed considerable strenght.  Following this the patient is followed up every month.

Apart from increasing the height the technique is also useful for treating limb length deformities, malunions, non unions, malunion, joint contractures, osteomyelitis and bone deformities

The patie

nt needs to observe few precuations so as to prevent complications.

›› Care of the pin sites- The points of entry of pins should be kept clean and should be wiped by cotton using antiseptic lotions.

›› Clothes modification

›› Stop smoking- as smoking hampers early healing and recovery it is better to quit smoking before undergoing treatment.

As every surgery is associated with complications this procedure too has complications

›› Anaesthetic complications

›› Infections (at pin entry sites)

›› DVT and Pulmonary embolus

›› Nerve or vessel injury

›› Premature consolidation

›› Malunion

›› Fracture

›› Scarring

›› Over lengthening and underlengthening

India offers a good option for people interested for undergoing ilizarov technique for increasing their height. There are state of the art centres which employ US trained surgeons and have state of the technology and infrastructure. The cost of Ilizarov technique is also quite low in India as compared to western world. You can avail detailed information about the technique and cost of ilizarov in India by Clicking here.