https://news3lv.com/news/local/las-...a-look-inside-what-it-takes-to-be-tallerLas Vegas a hotspot for limb-lengthening surgery, a look inside what it takes to be taller
by Tiffany LaneSat, March 9th 2024 at 6:35 PM
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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — At many points in time, several of us have wondered, what would it be like if I were a bit taller?
Well, it's actually possible if you're willing to throw down a couple thousand dollars to make it happen.
News 3 spoke with a local orthopedic surgeon who has helped make the Las Vegas valley one of the main hubs for limb-lengthening surgery in the world.
"This month alone. I think we have patients coming from South America, Europe, Canada, at least 10 or 12 states around the United States," said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Debiparshad.
It's not a surgery that's for everyone, but over the last 10 years, Dr. Debiparshad has made Las Vegas one of the go-to cities around the world for limb-lengthening surgery, performing hundreds of them every year.
"An implantable implant that goes inside of the bone. Once the implant is put in, I use this device to slowly lengthen the bone. It takes about a millimeter or so a day. So, in about 25 days, you can gain an inch," said Dr. Debiparshad.
It started off mainly for medical reasons, but now, Dr. Debiparshad says 50 percent of the patients are doing it for cosmetic reasons.
One of those patients is the fun-loving Hugo Ramirez, who lives between Texas, California, and Florida.
"When you're 5'9", you still have to fight to get to where you have to be at. I mean, I had to earn my respect. Guys who are six-foot tall, I don't even know how they get their positions in life. It's probably because they're tall," said Ramirez.
Ramirez first got the idea from a friend and decided to give it a go. And it didn't come without sacrifices like having to lose weight.
"I did the gastric sleeve when they get rid of your stomach. And I got down from 215 down to 197," said Ramirez.
Then came the leg-lengthening surgery in early 2023.
"What hurt the worst was learning how to walk all over again, muscle atrophy. That was the brutal part about the surgery was the muscle atrophy. It was the worst," said Ramirez.
While the surgery has been around for decades, there's a new technology that makes the recovery easier.
"There's a fourth generation of the implant called precise max that has recently come out. It is a more fortified implant. It allows for increased weight-bearing capacity, so it will allow patients to actually be able to mobilize and walk right after surgery," said Dr. Debiparshad.
Dr. Debiparshad let News 3 inside what he believes was one of the first uses of the precise max implanted in the world just last week.
The surgery makes patients three to four inches taller.
Right now, Ramirez is about 6'1" with shoes, but guess what? He loved the results so much that he's returning to Vegas to do it again to become 6'4".
This time, with the new technology, and a lot more stretching before going under.
"I have everything. I don't have the perfect wife. I have everything. I don't need anything else. But the height has always been something I've, I've always looked at the people that are taller than me. I've always looked up to them," said Ramirez.
And while the surgery has a hefty price tag of about $80,000, Ramirez said it's worth every penny, saying he's often mistaken for actor and wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.
"The biggest rush right now. I'm 6'1'', especially here in LA, in Beverly Hills, I get stopped all the time," said Ramirez.
