Leg-Lengthening Surgery: A Cautionary Tale

One Woman’s Painful Journey of Body Dysmorphia and Medical Complications

Elaine Foo’s legs bear thick, purple scars, vivid reminders of a leg-lengthening surgery that took a devastating turn. Since 2016, Elaine, now 49, has endured five surgeries and three bone grafts, exhausted her life savings, and waged a legal battle against her surgeon. The lawsuit was settled in July, with no admission of liability.

An Obsession with Height

Elaine admits she became obsessed with her height. As a child, she was taller than her peers, but by age 14, she felt shorter than everyone around her. This obsession with being taller grew over the years. Elaine believes she suffered from body dysmorphia, a mental health condition that distorts one’s perception of their appearance.

At 25, Elaine read an article about a Chinese clinic offering leg-lengthening surgery. Despite the gruesome details, she was intrigued. Sixteen years later, she discovered a private clinic in London offering the procedure. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jean-Marc Guichet, a limb-lengthening specialist who had developed his own lengthening device, the Guichet Nail.

“I thought this was my chance,” Elaine recalls. “Dr. Guichet was upfront about the risks—nerve damage, blood clots, and bones not healing properly. But I believed that going to an expensive, reputable doctor meant I would receive top-notch care.”

On July 25, Elaine underwent the surgery, hoping to grow from 5ft 2in to 5ft 5in. The cost: approximately £50,000.

The Pain Begins

Initially, Elaine felt no pain after the operation, but that soon changed. “It felt like my legs were being roasted from the inside,” she recalls. She screamed through the night, overwhelmed by the intense pain.

The leg-lengthening process involves breaking the leg bones and inserting metal rods that gradually lengthen over time. The broken bones are supposed to heal and fill the gap, but this complex procedure comes with a long recovery period. Experts warn that the lengthening process takes two to three months, with a full recovery taking up to a year.

Two weeks into the process, disaster struck. Elaine felt severe pain in her left leg and heard a loud crack. The metal nail in her left leg had broken through her femur, the strongest bone in the body. Despite her fears, Dr. Guichet reassured her that they could continue with the process once the bone healed.

A Lengthy and Painful Recovery

By September, Elaine’s right leg had reached its target length of 7cm, but her left leg remained untreated. The difference in leg length caused her significant pain and spinal issues. Scans of her right leg revealed a lack of bone growth, with her femur barely holding together.

In April 2017, Elaine underwent another surgery in Milan. During the procedure, the metal nail broke again, requiring the use of a nail from another patient. This additional surgery added more costs to Elaine’s mounting medical bills.

Communication with Dr. Guichet deteriorated, and by summer 2017, the doctor-patient relationship had broken down. Elaine sought help from a specialist surgeon on the NHS, who warned her that her recovery would take years.

A Life Altered

Eight years after the initial surgery, Elaine is still grappling with the physical and mental scars. She has mobility issues and suffers from PTSD. From 2017 to 2020, she withdrew from the world, facing unemployment, poverty, and disability.

In July, Elaine’s legal battle with Dr. Guichet ended with a substantial settlement, though the surgeon admitted no wrongdoing. Dr. Guichet’s lawyer argued that the complications were non-negligent and that Elaine’s use of anti-depressants and failure to follow medical advice contributed to her issues.

Elaine disputes these claims and holds the doctor responsible. “I lost the best years of my life,” she says. “If I had known what I would go through, I would have said, ‘No, thank you very much.’”

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References:

• Foo, Elaine. Personal testimony shared with [Publication].
• British Orthopaedic Association. Insights on Leg-Lengthening Procedures.