News

I had surgery to lengthen my legs and then it went horribly wrong

Published

7 months ago

August 11, 2024

Warning: This article contains medical details that readers may find distressing

Elaine Foo’s legs are streaked with thick, purple scars – each one a reminder of a leg-lengthening procedure which went badly wrong.

Since 2016, the 49-year-old has had five surgeries and three bone grafts, exhausted her life savings and brought a legal action against her surgeon, which was finally settled in July, with no admission of liability.

At one point, Elaine had a metal nail break through a bone and on another occasion, she says her legs felt like they were being “roasted from the inside”.

“My  journey has been a trial of fire – but I survived,” she says.

Her doctor consistently denied any negligence and says that some of the issues arose from complications she had been warned of, and others arose through her own actions.

Elaine Foo/Supplied

Elaine says having longer legs became an obsession, and believes she has body dysmorphia

Elaine always hated her height.

“At 12, I was taller than most girls,” she says. “By 14, I was suddenly shorter than everyone. Over time it became an obsession. Taller means better. Taller means more beautiful. I just felt that taller people had more chances.”

By adulthood the obsession was overwhelming.

Elaine believes she had body dysmorphia, a mental health condition where a person sees a flaw in their appearance no matter how others see them. The impact of the condition can be devastating.

At the age of 25, Elaine came across an article about a Chinese clinic where people were having surgery to make their leg bones longer. The piece contained grisly details of medieval-looking leg cages and rampant infection. It sounded nightmarish but left Elaine intrigued.

“I know people will question the vanity of it,” she says. “But when you face body dysmorphia, there’s no rational explanation for why you feel so overwhelmingly bad.”

Sixteen years later, Elaine discovered a private clinic offering the procedure in London. It was being provided by the orthopaedic surgeon Jean-Marc Guichet, a limb-lengthening specialist who had even created his own lengthening device – the Guichet Nail.

“That was really a hallelujah moment, because I could do it in London and could recover at home,” she recalls.

“Dr Guichet was open about the kinds of things that could go wrong. Nerve injuries, blood clots, the possibility of bones not fusing back together.

“But I’d done my research, was going to a very expensive doctor and I expected commensurate medical care. My dream was to grow from 5ft 2in (1.57m) to 5ft 5in (1.65m).”

On 25 July, at a cost of around £50,000, she went in for surgery and set in motion a process which would change her life.

Leg-lengthening procedures are relatively uncommon, but available at private clinics around the world. Depending on where it’s carried out, it can cost anything from £15,000 to upwards of £150,000.

Elaine Foo/Supplied

Elaine says she initially felt no pain after the operation

“Waking up was very exciting, because it felt like nothing happened. No pain. But 90 minutes later, it starts. It felt like someone was cooking my legs. Like being roasted from the inside. That first night I screamed until 6am, until I fell asleep screaming.”

With this procedure, some pain is to be expected. During the operation, the leg bones are broken in two and a metal rod is fitted inside.

The metal rods are gradually extended to increase their length and pull the two halves of bone apart. This process is meant to increase the patient’s height. The broken bones should gradually heal back together, to fill the gap in between.

The operation is complex, and it’s only the start of a long process.

“The lengthening process takes about two or three months and then you have at least double that time before you’ve recovered reasonable function,” warns Prof Hamish Simpson, former council member of the British Orthopaedic Association. “For most people, it’s going to take a year out of your life.”

Once surgery was over, Elaine’s lengthening process began. Several times a day she carried out an uncomfortable regime, rotating her legs to trigger the rod’s ratchet mechanism. This is what makes the nail lengthen and her legs grow. But two weeks later, she says disaster struck.

“I’d been feeling a lot of pain in my left leg. Then one night, while I was moving around in bed, I heard what sounded like a Kit Kat crunch, followed by severe pain.”

Elaine Foo/Supplied

The nail in Elaine’s left leg had broken through her femur

Elaine went in for a scan, which confirmed her fears. The nail in her left leg had broken through her femur – the thigh bone – the strongest bone in the human body. She was distraught, but she says she was reassured by Dr Guichet.

“He told me that all you need to do now is not worry. Wait for it to heal and once it’s healed, we’ll begin the process again.”

They would continue lengthening Elaine’s right leg, while scheduling another operation to deal with her left leg – which would eventually be lengthened the same amount as the right.

Elaine says she was told the extra operation would cost thousands of pounds, but was happy to pay if it meant she could see the process through.

By September, her right leg had reached its 7cm target. But things weren’t quite right. The discrepancy between her right and left leg was causing problems, curving her spine and leaving her in constant pain.

Elaine Foo/Supplied

Six weeks later, scans of her right leg showed an alarming lack of bone growth. Her femur was essentially two bits of bone held together by the metal rod.

Elaine turned to Dr Guichet for help, who scheduled another operation at a clinic he worked at in Milan. In April 2017, they restarted the lengthening process in Elaine’s left leg, while also injecting bone marrow into the right leg – to stimulate bone growth there. After the operation, Elaine woke to more bad news.

“Dr Guichet told me the nail had broken while he was taking it out,” she says. “He had a nail from another patient which he was able to insert.” She adds that this was going to cost even more money.

Three days later, hardly able to move, but desperate to be home, Elaine returned to London. She says communication with Dr Guichet had soured and feels that by summer the doctor-patient relationship had broken down.

Elaine Foo/Supplied

Elaine’s right leg showed a lack of bone growth, requiring further treatment

She didn’t know where else to turn and by July 2017 she managed to see a specialist orthopaedic surgeon on the NHS.

She says the specialist told her “this will not be a short journey.”

“I had to prepare myself for at least five years of treatment before healing fully,” she says.

Eight years on from the initial surgery Elaine says she is still recovering from her mental and physical scars. She has a range of mobility issues and says she suffers from PTSD.

“From 2017 to 2020 I hid from the world. I was single, unemployed, penniless and disabled.”

But recently she’s begun to get closure. A four-year legal battle was finally settled in July when  Dr Guichet agreed to pay Elaine a “substantial” sum to settle her claim against him – without any admission of liability.

Watch: Leg-lengthening – the people having surgery to be a bit taller

The surgeon’s lawyer denied any negligence on Dr Guichet’s part, telling the court: “Dr Guichet’s case is that there was no negligence, that the fracture and delayed bone healing were unfortunate non-negligent complications that Ms Foo was warned of before surgery, and that the limited right-sided bone regeneration was aggravated by Ms Foo’s undisclosed use of anti-depressants and by her deliberately extending the nail in her right leg beyond the agreed length.”

He also claimed in court that Ms Foo had “frequently declined” to follow Guichet’s advice and had neglected her rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Elaine contests all of these claims. She says the anti-depressants were not linked to the complications and holds the doctor responsible for what happened to her.

Elaine assumed she was safe because she was paying so much. But she has paid more than just a financial price.

“I lost the best years of my life. I know people like to hear the word regret and if someone asked me today, would you have done it, if you knew you were going to go through all this? I would say a definite, ‘No, thank you very much’.”

Source: BBC

News

Saudi Arabia donates 100 tonnes of dates to Nigeria as fasting approaches

Published

4 hours ago

February 23, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Abuja has held an official ceremony to distribute 100 tonnes (100,000kg) of dates to Nigeria as part of its annual humanitarian relief efforts.

The initiative, facilitated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), aims to support vulnerable families across the country and strengthen the deep-rooted ties between the two nations.

During the ceremony, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Nigeria, Faisal bin Ibrahim, conveyed the Kingdom’s dedication to humanitarian causes.

He expressed his profound gratitude to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their unwavering support in providing aid to Muslims and underserved communities worldwide.

He emphasised that Saudi Arabia remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering Islamic solidarity and providing relief to those in need.

Mr Al-Ghamdi explained that this year’s distribution includes 50 tonnes of dates for Abuja and another 50 tonnes for Kano, continuing Saudi Arabia’s tradition of assisting Nigeria through humanitarian donations.

He noted that the initiative represents the Kingdom’s broader mission to uplift Muslim communities, alleviate suffering, and promote unity, particularly during significant religious periods such as Ramadan.

The embassy, in collaboration with local authorities and humanitarian organisations, will ensure the proper distribution of the dates so that they reach the most vulnerable families in various regions of Nigeria

Saudi Arabia has been a longstanding partner in providing humanitarian aid to nations across the globe, including Nigeria. The Kingdom’s continued efforts in supporting food security and welfare initiatives exemplify its role as a global leader in charitable and humanitarian endeavours.

Through Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia seeks to expand its contributions to international humanitarian causes, reinforcing its dedication to fostering peace, stability, and prosperity worldwide. The ongoing provision of aid to Nigeria is a testament to these commitments and highlights the decades-long partnership between the two brotherly nations.

News

Babangida’s Book is filled with distorted facts, collection of lies, says Dele Farotimi

Published

4 hours ago

February 23, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer, has launched a heavy attack on former dictator Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), describing his reign as “ruinous”.

Farotimi, who lived through Babangida’s rule, recounted his experiences as a participant in the fight against the former leader’s “evil actions and inactions

Farotimi’s comments come after Babangida’s recent admission that Chief M.K.O. Abiola won the 1993 presidential election, which Babangida annulled.

The human rights lawyer expressed his disappointment, but not surprise, at the “mixed bag of lies, half-truths, urban legends, and obfuscations” in Babangida’s recent statements.

Farotimi’s criticism is not isolated, as many Nigerians have questioned Babangida’s legacy and the lack of consequences for his actions. The annulment of the 1993 election led to widespread protests and a prolonged struggle for democracy in Nigeria.

In a statement, Farotimi concluded, “No hagiographic allocutus can redeem the Evil Genius of Minna”.

The statement was shared on X while he was reacting to a comment made by Adnan Abdullahi Adam, which stated that “it’s better to read every side of exposition before forming your own judgement”.

With the cover picture of the IBB’s memoir “A Journey In Service” @realadnantweet wrote:

“I think IBB’s memoir: “A Journey in Service” exposes a fresh perspective on everything.

“It’s better to read every side of exposition before forming your own judgement.

“Everyone should try reading the book as jury to the plea of the accused.”

Responding Farotimi wrote: “I lived through his ruinous reign. I wasn’t a passive victim of his evil actions and inactions, I was a participant in the fight to be freed of him.

“I am painfully aware of the extent of his evil capabilities, and I have not been disappointed by the mixed bag of lies, half truths, urban legends, and obfuscations contained in the excerpts already in the public domain. No hagiographic allocutus can redeem the Evil Genius of Minna.”

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, former Nigerian military ruler General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) released his long-anticipated autobiography, “A Journey in Service.”

The memoir has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with critics accusing Babangida of distorting historical events and maligning deceased individuals who cannot defend themselves.

This development has reopened debates about his tenure and its lasting impact on Nigeria’s political and economic landscape.

Babangida’s tenure from 1985 to 1993 was marked by the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), among others. In “A Journey in Service,” he provides an insider’s perspective on the adoption of SAP, aiming to offer context for the controversial policy that aimed to liberalize Nigeria’s economy.

While intended to address economic challenges, SAP led to widespread protests and debates due to its harsh austerity measures and the social hardships it imposed.

Critics, however, contend that Babangida’s memoir serves as a self-exoneration tool, selectively presenting events to absolve himself of blame.

Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, described the book as a “pack of lies,” accusing Babangida of making allegations against deceased individuals who cannot contest his claims.

Odinkalu further criticized Babangida for portraying himself as a victim of circumstances orchestrated by those who are no longer alive to defend themselves.

The memoir has also rekindled discussions about Babangida’s annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections. In the book, Babangida attempts to justify the annulment, a move that plunged the nation into political turmoil and prolonged military rule. Many Nigerians view this action as a significant setback to the country’s democratic progress.

News

Saudi Arabia plans to invest $600bn in new US trade over 4 years

Published

4 hours ago

February 23, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told President Donald Trump that the kingdom wants to put $600 billion into expanded investment and trade with the United States over the next four years, the Saudi State news agency said early on Thursday.
In a phone call between the two leaders, the crown prince said the Trump administration’s expected reforms could create “unprecedented economic prosperity”, the state news agency reported.

The report said Saudi Arabia wants its investments to capitalize on these conditions. It did not detail the source of the $600 billion, whether it would be public or private spending nor how the money would be deployed.
The investment “could increase further if additional opportunities arise”, the agency quoted Bin Salman as telling Trump.
Trump fostered close ties with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia during his first term. The country invested $2 billion in a firm formed by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former aide, after Trump left office.

Trump said following his inauguration on Monday that he would consider making Saudi Arabia his first destination for a foreign visit if Riyadh agreed to buy $500 billion worth of American products, similar to what he did in his first term.
“I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to buy $450 billion worth of our product. I said I’ll do it but you have to buy American product, and they agreed to do that,” Trump said, referring to his 2017 visit to the Gulf kingdom.
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Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman