Limb Lengthening Surgery

What limb lengthening surgery involves

Limb lengthening is orthopaedic surgery, not cosmetic surgery. The surgeon makes a controlled cut in the bone (an osteotomy) and fixes it with a lengthening device. After a few days of rest, the two ends are drawn apart very slowly, usually about one millimetre a day, and new bone forms in the gap. When the planned length is reached, the new bone hardens over the following months.

The same technique corrects bow legs, knock knees, rotation problems and a difference in length between the two legs. Many patients have both: the plan corrects the alignment and adds length in the same operation. The surgeon chooses the device, an internal lengthening nail or an external frame, after reviewing your X-rays.

Two stages: thigh bones first, lower legs second

For height lengthening, the usual plan is two separate operations. The first lengthens and corrects both thigh bones (femurs). The second lengthens and corrects the lower leg bones (tibias), and it is only planned once the first has healed. The two are never done at the same time.

Each stage typically gains 5–8 cm. The exact figure depends on your anatomy, your alignment and how your bone and soft tissue respond, and the surgeon sets it after the assessment, not before.

Who is a candidate

Adults whose growth plates have closed, in good general health, who do not smoke and who can commit to months of daily physiotherapy. Patients with a leg-length difference or a deformity after a fracture or from birth are assessed the same way. Tell us about every condition and medication, including infections such as HIV or hepatitis, before the plan is made: hidden history can change the whole plan once you arrive.

Height lengthening is a serious decision. It is right for people whose height or leg alignment genuinely limits their life and who understand the time and risk involved, not for a quick change.

How the plan is made

Before anything else, the surgeon needs full-length standing X-rays of both legs, from hip to ankle: one front view (AP) and one side view (lateral), taken standing with the kneecaps facing forward. Any local radiology clinic can take them. Send them to your coordinator with your height, weight and medical history.

The surgical team reviews them and sends a written treatment plan: which bones, how many centimetres, which device, how long you stay and the price of each stage. Our assistant video call is free, and a video consultation with the surgeon is €30, credited if you book.

Hospital stay, rehabilitation and recovery

The hospital stay lasts as long as the surgeon decides you need and is included in the price. After discharge you recover nearby and come in for regular checks and X-rays while the bone is lengthened. Physiotherapy every day is what protects the joints and muscles during this phase.

Plan on staying in Turkey for about three months for each stage, depending on how the lengthening and rehabilitation go. Full recovery takes about six to seven months, and the second stage is only scheduled when the first has consolidated. You walk with crutches or a walker at first, and your surgeon decides when you can put full weight on your legs.

Risks you should know about

Stretching bone also stretches muscles, nerves and blood vessels. The main risks are joint stiffness and muscle tightness, nerve irritation, pain during the lengthening phase, infection, blood clots, and new bone that forms too slowly or too quickly. Most of these are managed by adjusting the lengthening rate and with physiotherapy, but some need further treatment. Ask the surgeon about each one at your video consultation.

Cost of limb lengthening surgery in Turkey

The published price is from €40,100 per stage. It includes the surgery, the hospital stay, medication, aftercare and follow-up checks in Istanbul, a medical interpreter, airport transfers and transfers between your accommodation and the hospital. The second stage is quoted separately, with the same inclusions.

Accommodation for the longer stay is not in the headline price, because three months is a different booking from a one-week surgical trip: we quote the Deniz Hotel or a long-stay apartment on your written plan. Flights are never included. Your final price depends on the device and the correction you need, and it is fixed in writing before you pay a deposit.

Why through us

We are a medical-tourism agency: the surgeons and hospitals are our partners. You deal with one coordinator from your first message to your last follow-up, every price is itemised in writing before you commit, and you speak to the surgeon on video before you travel.