Short men opting risky surgery to become 6ft and impress women

Thousands of short men are now turning to a painful and expensive procedure to become taller.

Men are willing to pay £240,000 to add six inches to their heights via a life-changing surgery being offered by surgeons in the US and Turkey.

Some men who have undergone the surgery have claimed that the cosmetic operation has made them successful in online dating. Some women shorter than five feet have also had the surgery after being “treated like children” all the time.

The painful operation involves breaking the legs. Surgeons drill screws on the end of each thigh bone or the lower leg tibia, depending on which the doctors chose to break.

Magnets are used to slowly tease apart the bones. The screws gradually turn and activate a telescopic rod that lengthens. The fracture naturally heals and the bone becomes longer.

However, it can take many weeks to reach the desired goal. The practice sometimes leaves patients in extreme pain and bounds them to wheelchairs. They also have to go through months of physiotherapy after the surgery.

Some legal experts, reported MailOnline, claim that a few patients are suffering from tissue abnormalities around the bone due to the type of steel used.

Despite the safety concerns, clinics are offering the treatment option and have reported a rise in queries indicating contemplation.

A man named Alfonso Flores, 28, underwent the operation to become six feet tall. Flores, a freelance writer and medical student, was 5ft 11 but wanted to look like a basketball hero.

Seven months after the treatment, he said he felt great about himself.

There is no official data that shows the number of leg-lengthening procedures in the world. However, YouTube content creator Victor Egonu who is a health clinic manager said that thousands were being carried out annually.

The procedure was first invented in the early 1950s to treat soldiers’ injuries.

Other leg-lengthening procedures also exist. But they all come with serious complications like joint dislocations, blood clots and even fatal conditions.

Another man, 26-year-old Daniel Asadi, from Toronto was 5ft 7in. He was told at the age of 14 that he would not grow any further. Bullied all his life being the “fat kid”, Asadi was determined to change how he looked.

He pursued the procedure in Turkey which cost him around £17,000.

A father told MailOnline that his son, under pressure due to social media and wishing to improve his chances on dating applications, wanted to get the surgery. He told The Guardian “'He says that nobody takes you seriously if you're small and that girls don't like you.”

'When they're chatting online with girls, the first question they get after being asked for a photo is: "How tall are you?".'