Breaking your legs to make yourself taller.(slate.com)
slate.com
Breaking your legs to make yourself taller.
http://www.slate.com/id/2221843
10 comments
How about the burden on an already overwhelmed medical system because doctors are focusing on nonhealth related distractions.
The "already-overwhelmed" medical system in Russia? Paid for out of pocket (I assume, the article doesn't say but I have never heard of an insurance that would pay for that)?
(Besides, the laws of economics tend to ensure that supply will match demand when the market is left alone. If we weren't working so hard to disconnect all the market forces that go into causing that Econ 101 result, maybe our system would be less "overwhelmed". The food I purchased today did not take food out of your mouth; the medical services this woman purchased don't have to take medical services from you.)
(Besides, the laws of economics tend to ensure that supply will match demand when the market is left alone. If we weren't working so hard to disconnect all the market forces that go into causing that Econ 101 result, maybe our system would be less "overwhelmed". The food I purchased today did not take food out of your mouth; the medical services this woman purchased don't have to take medical services from you.)
The supply may match demand if the supply of doctors weren't limited by the AMA. And I wasn't speaking only of Russia, I was speaking in general and especially about the U.S.
I'm not arguing that we should stop the practice, just offering some legitimate reasons to limit this kind of practice.
It is true though, that if more doctors are performing non-health related procedures, there are fewer doctors to do health related issues.
The question is: How much should doctors be doing to make people better than normal, or intentionally abnormal versus doing things to make people not abnormal?
Plastic surgeons are already limited in what they can do. This article for instance: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/mar/11/health.lifeand... which talks about wings, horns, tails and the like, "If the medical-ethics board allowed it..."
I'm not arguing that we should stop the practice, just offering some legitimate reasons to limit this kind of practice.
It is true though, that if more doctors are performing non-health related procedures, there are fewer doctors to do health related issues.
The question is: How much should doctors be doing to make people better than normal, or intentionally abnormal versus doing things to make people not abnormal?
Plastic surgeons are already limited in what they can do. This article for instance: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2002/mar/11/health.lifeand... which talks about wings, horns, tails and the like, "If the medical-ethics board allowed it..."
"It is true though, that if more doctors are performing non-health related procedures, there are fewer doctors to do health related issues."
No, that's only true instantaneously. It's not true across a time span where the number of doctors can adjust to market conditions.
No, that's only true instantaneously. It's not true across a time span where the number of doctors can adjust to market conditions.
I think the whole argument against this kind of procedure revolves around the fact that operations such as this are complicated, painful, dangerous and expensive.
Once cosmetic surgery is so advanced that it is simple, fast, reliable and painless will people have any issue with it?
I'd be interested to hear opinions... Would you have a cosmetic procedure done if it was not a big deal?
The next step after commonplace cosmetic procedures is routine performance enhancement! Boron carbide skeleton, here I come!
Once cosmetic surgery is so advanced that it is simple, fast, reliable and painless will people have any issue with it?
I'd be interested to hear opinions... Would you have a cosmetic procedure done if it was not a big deal?
The next step after commonplace cosmetic procedures is routine performance enhancement! Boron carbide skeleton, here I come!
This TED talk about performance enhancing prosthetic legs (including making you taller) covers a lot of these issues:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_...
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_...
Great link! Very thoughtful talk...
In that case, cosmetic surgery would be just like dying your hair, which is extremely commonplace.
Dying your hair used to be controversial. These days you just do it.
Gattaca, anyone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
Awesome movie. I literally just watched it today and it was totally inspiring.
If anyone needs a break, you can watch the whole thing here (Parts 1-10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zvCmQAHQc&feature=chann...
If anyone needs a break, you can watch the whole thing here (Parts 1-10): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zvCmQAHQc&feature=chann...
I believe that Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) also travelled to Russia to have one of his legs lengthened (he previously suffered from some pretty severe back problems). So there are reason for lengthening legs beyond wanting to be taller.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=149273
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=149273
Wow. A friend of mine had an Ilizarov frame for some 5 years at least (born with a shorter leg on one side, they were aiming for 4 inches I think) starting at age 10 or 11, and after seeing what an absolute mission that was for him, I'm staggered at the idea that someone would undergo that procedure for cosmetic reasons. It's seriously non-trivial surgery: installation was 13 hours, and he became far more familiar with various painkillers than any kid that age deserves to.
This likely was the method employed:
http://www.ilizarov.org.uk/content.htm
I have talked to wearers of such cages. Not fun, but they are a great alternative to amputation.
http://www.ilizarov.org.uk/content.htm
I have talked to wearers of such cages. Not fun, but they are a great alternative to amputation.
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As a shorter person myself, that is amazing to me. I've heard of that surgery and am baffled that anyone would go through that. (Also, I'm fairly sure athletes don't go through that because it leaves your leg bones too weak.)
I mean, being short is generally not a good thing, except when you're in coach on an airplane and have ample legroom. But it's not bad enough that I'd willfully even break a toe to correct it.
I mean, being short is generally not a good thing, except when you're in coach on an airplane and have ample legroom. But it's not bad enough that I'd willfully even break a toe to correct it.
If only she'd heard of high heels and platform shoes before the surgery ...
This operation sounds horrible!
It looks horrible too. A family member has undergone a similar one in Russia, although in her case it was a necessity (she could not walk a mile without her feet starting hurting). They break your bones and install fixtures with metal rods driven through your feet/ankles/shins. Then they use these fixtures to control the way your bone fragments knit back together over a period of several months.
It is hard to imagine that someone would put herself through this for pure cosmetic reasons.
It is hard to imagine that someone would put herself through this for pure cosmetic reasons.
Many intelligent people spend many hours every week of their lives and many dollars doing things for purely cosmetic reasons: putting on makeup, picking out clothes, buying clothes, painting interior walls, waxing and detailing their cars, taking photographs of things because they're beautiful (rather than because they need to remember something about them), painting on canvases, performing plastic surgery, getting tattoos, tattooing other people, piercing ears, brushing and cutting and styling hair, listening to and playing music, dyeing fabric...
Although in the case where the canvas is oneself, you can raise the objection of narcissism or selfishness, I think these pursuits are fundamentally worthwhile and even noble.
Although in the case where the canvas is oneself, you can raise the objection of narcissism or selfishness, I think these pursuits are fundamentally worthwhile and even noble.
It wasn't a question of time and dollars, it was a question of pain and discomfort. What I meant, going through all that pain and discomfort for being a few inches taller - that's what I found hard to understand.
I don't know about you, but I often prefer being in pain to spending money or wasting time.
Pretty sure everyone's feet start hurting after walking a mile, especially if you drive everywhere.
Instead of getting surgery, how about spending a few minutes working out and building up your legs? A few wall squats, a bunch of jumping jacks, and some towel hopping and you'll be just fine, without involving surgery that'll screw up your life 20 years later.
Instead of getting surgery, how about spending a few minutes working out and building up your legs? A few wall squats, a bunch of jumping jacks, and some towel hopping and you'll be just fine, without involving surgery that'll screw up your life 20 years later.
>Pretty sure everyone's feet start hurting after walking a mile, especially if you drive everywhere.
She doesn't drive.
Maybe I should have been more specific. The family member I was talking about had a condition called hallux valgus since her early teens. When she got older it became so severe that she could not walk extended periods of time without seriously hurting.
The surgery does have consequences, like problems with blood circulation and occasional numbing. But she is glad she did it.
She doesn't drive.
Maybe I should have been more specific. The family member I was talking about had a condition called hallux valgus since her early teens. When she got older it became so severe that she could not walk extended periods of time without seriously hurting.
The surgery does have consequences, like problems with blood circulation and occasional numbing. But she is glad she did it.
Wake me when they can give me surgery to make me smarter.
What's the compelling basis for us collectively to stop her?