The patients' femurs (thigh bones) are broken for the procedure. (Representational Image)
A US-based cosmetic surgeon, who specialises in leg lengthening, has said that employees of many big tech companies are splurging a lot to get taller, according to a report in GQ. Kevin Debiparshad can lengthen patients' legs by a painful month-long process. Mr Debiparshad is running his clinic in Las Vegas and his clients include workers from Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta who pay $75,000 for the procedure. He founded LimbplastX Institute in 2016 and told the outlet that business boomed during COVID-19.
The procedure costs between $70,000 and $150,000, depending on whether the patient wants to grow 3, 4, 5, or 6 inches, the report in GQ said.
One of the software engineers, who underwent the procedure, told GQ that he spent the first three months after the surgery in his apartment and ordered food during that time. The person grew three inch taller - from 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9.
Mr Debiparshad told the magazine that he has treated CEOs, actors and other high-earning professionals. Most of his customers are men, he added.
"I joke that I could open a tech company. I got, like, 20 software engineers doing this procedure right now who are here in Vegas. There was a girl yesterday from PayPal. I've got patients from Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft. I've had multiple patients from Microsoft," he told GQ.
How the procedure works?
The cosmetic surgeon said patients' femurs (thigh bones) are broken and metal nails inserted in them that are adjustable. The nails are extended every day for three months with a magnetic remote control.
Risks involved
Since the height comes from the person's legs, the body proportions can look weird, said the GQ report. Also, the recovery is long and painful.
The patient has to exercise extreme caution during the recovery phase because as the femur is still soft and the smallest stumble could snap the bone.
Finally, the pain is relentless. Patients are not able to walk for months.