A man has undergone painful limb lengthening surgery to fulfil his dream of becoming taller.
Sharing footage of his experience with his 10.9 million Instagram followers, 29-year-old Yeferson Cossio, from Antioquia, Colombia, acquired four inches in height from the procedure.
Though he previously suffered from a problem with his legs, Cossio explained that the reasoning for the procedure was now purely aesthetic. However, his initial experience led him towards discovering the cosmetic procedure, called ‘leg stretching.’
‘Two years ago, I had an issue with my legs that I don’t really want to talk about because it’s very personal,’ he said.
‘There was a lot of speculation and conspiracy type theories, which I didn’t really care for.
‘But one of the things that had the most impact on me was to do with leg stretching.
‘I looked into it, met with some people, and found that, yes, it exists. I got it into my head that I wanted to do it.’
Though he never saw himself as a short person before, he was interested in becoming a little taller.
‘I’m 1.77m (5’8″)’, he added. ‘Reaching 1.87m (6’1″) seemed too much to me, but I’m going to stay around 1.83m (6′).’
However, Yeferson described the operation as one of the most ‘expensive’ and ‘painful’ on the market.
Quotes for the life-changing op came in anywhere between 200 million and 700 million Colombian Peso (£40,286.63 and £141,003.19), though Yeferson hasn’t disclosed his final bill.
Yeferson’s surgeon, meanwhile, added that the procedure is not typically used for aesthetic purposes, instead used to adjust malformations that leave one limb longer than the other or when a patient loses part of a limb in an accident.
The process can take over four months from surgery to recovery, after which patients are able to continue with daily activities as normal, including walking, exercising and, in Cossio’s case, playing football.
How does limb lengthening surgery work?
Limb lengthening surgery starts with an osteotomy, which involves cutting the ‘short’ bone into two segments.
The surgeon will then attach a synthetic limb lengthening device, such as a rod, between the bones.
Over the course of several months, your body creates new bone to fill the gap. Eventually, the synthetic device is removed, but you’ll need physio (and time) to fully recover.
Source: Cleveland Clinic
The video of his treatment he shared on his Instagram has now gone viral, acquiring almost 320,000 views and over 6,000 comments.
‘I underwent the most painful surgery in the entire world. Would you do it?’, the caption read.
Not everyone was understanding.
‘Vanity at its best! All the money in the world couldn’t make this guy end up being happy’, one user commented.
Another chimed: ‘They have so much money they don’t know what to spend it on… and so they do this nonsense.’
While a third said: ‘That’s just a reflection of the emptiness you feel inside that not even money, surgery, or sex can fill.’
But amongst all the judgment, one follower sent their well wishes.
‘My legs hurt just thinking about the pain. Have a good recovery, take care of yourself.’
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