Short Men Seek Surgical Stretching

Short, and even not-so-short men who feel their height is holding them back in life are turning to surgery in growing numbers, Details reports. Clinics abroad offer cosmetic limb lengthening that can add a few inches of height, but the bill can top $100,000 and the procedure, which involves breaking and stretching the bones, leaves the patient crippled for months.

Experiences of the surgery vary. Some men end up flying home bankrupt, limping, and no taller than they were before, while others come back and delight in having gained an extra few inches. “I’m not bitter anymore,” said one man who turned to surgery to stretch his 5"6 frame. “I’ll be a better father and husband and son. I just want to be the best person I can be." (More surgeon stories.)