The unregulated limb lengthening industry in India is seeing a huge boom as many of its vertically challenged residents have surgery to gain much-needed extra inches. People from other countries are also visiting India in the hope of having the surgery.
When performed by a reputable surgeon, limb lengthening surgery is perfectly safe. In fact, despite the complex nature of the surgery, patients will recover very quickly and be capable of exercising within 24-hours of having surgery.
Why is Limb Lengthening Surgery So Popular in India?
Human beings are very judgemental. If you are not beautiful enough, not clever enough, or born into a family from a low-level caste, it is virtually impossible to do well in Indian society. What is worse is that Indian people are often ridiculed for being too short. Men and women struggle to find a suitable match or even a job. Those who are both beautiful and clever have an advantage, but this is invariably lost if they are much shorter than average.
The average Indian man is around 5 foot 5 inches tall whereas Indian women are, on average, 5 feet tall. Western men and women are several inches taller: an average UK man is 5 feet 9 inches tall and an average woman is 5 feet 3 inches.
Society Favours Tall People
Sadly, throughout history, society favours tall men and women. Women prefer taller men and will actively disregard mates for being too short. Petite women have an easier time, but in Indian society, women who are much shorter than average will struggle to be taken seriously in the workplace.
Indian society is very competitive. The country has experienced an economic boom in recent years, with an explosion of jobs, particularly in the tech industry, boosting the economy. More and more people are looking at ways to boost their employment prospects and chances of finding a suitable mate. Limb lengthening surgery is a radical way to improve on what Mother Nature gave you, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
A Complex Procedure
Limb lengthening surgery is an extremely complex procedure. The operation was originally developed by a Polish surgeon to correct birth deformities. Bones are broken and reconstructed, with braces fitted around the limb until normal mobility is attained and the bone has fully healed. Reputable surgeons will discourage patients from having the surgery unnecessarily, but many people are so desperate to gain a few crucial inches that they threaten suicide if the surgeon will not operate.
Unfortunately, because limb lengthening surgery is becoming so popular, there are an increasing number of unlicensed surgeons performing operations. The industry is unregulated in India, so there is nothing to prevent a doctor advertising limb lengthening surgery, even when they have not had any training. If the surgery is carried out by an inexperienced orthopaedic surgeon, the risk of complications occurring is very high.
