STOP FEELING SHORT

GET TALLER NOW

Dr. Shahab Mahboubian, D.O., MPH

 CONTENTS

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Height Dysphoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Fracture Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

How Limb Lengthening Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Choosing a Surgeon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Dr. Shahab Mahboubian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

 INTRODUCTION

Being shorter than average has implications beyond seeing over

the heads of a crowd. According to Malcolm Gladwell, author
of Blink, being taller increases the chances of job advancement
and translates to a considerable amount of extra income over
the course of a working life. If you’re one of those American
men or women whose height is below the average of 5’ 9” or 5’
5”, respectively, you might want to become taller. Dr. Shahab
Mahboubian would like to help.

3
 HEIGHT DYSPHORIA
Both men and women may suffer from height dysphoria,
a condition in which the individual is unhappy about being
short. Height or limb lengthening surgery, however, can
change all that. People who are shorter than average face many

challenges in everyday life; such as, driving vehicles, reaching

counters, and using furniture that is designed for taller people.
They may also face ingrained bias or outright prejudice against
those of short stature, similar to that faced by people who are
obese. Unlike those who are overweight, becoming taller is a
process that is not in your hands when compared to losing
weight. Height lengthening surgery offers a chance to change
a physical characteristic which is genetically determined and
gives the individual some control over their short stature.

4
 FRACTURE HEALING
When you break a bone, bleeding and inflammation occur at
the fracture site. The bleeding produces a blood clot, just as a
cut on the skin first bleeds and then forms a scab. After several
days the body begins to repair the fracture by creating fibrous
tissue and cartilage in the area of the break. Minerals such as
calcium, magnesium and phosphorus — the major components
of bone — are deposited into this tissue.

As healing progresses, this

“soft callus” is gradually
replaced by more and
more calcium and other
minerals to form new
bone. The body also
creates new blood vessels
to supply the bone.
Eventually a “hard callus”
forms over the broken
area and the bone is now
as strong as it was prior to
the fracture.

5
HOW LIMB LENGTHENING WORKS
Limb lengthening surgery takes advantage of the body’s natural
healing methods. The surgeon first makes a surgical cut in the
bone (for height lengthening surgery, it may be either the femur
— thigh bone — or the tibia and fibula in the shin). The next
step is to insert a telescopic titanium rod into each bone end.

Limb lengthening surgery was originally developed using an

external device, which was attached to the rod through pins
drilled into the leg bones. The pins and attachments remained
on the outside of the leg throughout the three-month healing
process. The new system, called the Precice Limb Lengthening
System, is implanted in the bone and controlled by a miniature
magnetic motor and gear box. Instead of manually adjusting
the device, the patient applies a magnetic field generator to
the skin of the leg several times a day. As the rod gradually
increases in length, the body lays down new bone just as it
would to heal a fracture.

6
 ADVANTAGES
These minimally invasive techniques are much better for the
patient. For example, an external device requires pins through
the skin. Since these must remain in place for several months,
the chance of infection is increased. The external device is
bulky and it is hard to get clothes over it, while the exposed
pins and fixator are vulnerable to being bumped or snagged as
the patient goes through daily activities.

7
 CHOOSING A SURGEON
Limb lengthening surgery is a specialized technique that
requires training over and above the usual training for
an orthopedic surgeon. In common with most surgeries,
a surgeon’s skill often depends on the frequency with which
she/he performs the operation. You should look for a surgeon
who specializes and is board-certified in orthopedics and who
completed both a standard orthopedic surgical residency as
well as a fellowship.

8
 DR. SHAHAB MAHBOUBIAN
Dr. Mahboubian, of Height
Lengthening, was the first
orthopedic surgeon on the
west coast to perform a
cosmetic limb lengthening
using the Precice system.
Height Lengthening is the
only institute on the West
Coast that offers cosmetic
limb lengthening surgery.
Trained at the world-
renowned Hospital for
Special Surgery in New York, which US. News and World Report calls
the #1 orthopedic hospital in the country, Dr. Mahboubian practices
the most advanced and up-to-date techniques in orthopedic surgery.
His background in osteopathic medicine means that he has received
medical training with a more specialized focus on the musculoskeletal
system, as compared to conventional medical training.

If you believe limb-lengthening surgery is in your future,

contact Height Lengthening for a consultation. We can help you decide
if you are a good candidate for this surgery. We are available to answer
any questions you may have.

CONTACT DR. MAHBOUBIAN

10640 Riverside Drive

North Hollywood, California 91602

(818) 322-0126 | info@heightlengthening.com | heightlengthening.com

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