At five foot, four inches (1.63 metres), Raza Fayyaz had always felt self-conscious about his below-average height.
“I am an introvert and on top of that, having body-image issues pushed me to shy away from gatherings and meeting people,” the 42-year-old IT manager from Ohio told The National.
Rather than put up with it, Mr Fayyaz joined thousands of men and women who have turned to surgery to make themselves taller, many of them travelling to other countries for the complicated procedure.
Today, Mr Fayyazz is five foot, seven inches (1.70 metres), after spending $95,000 on an operation at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
“At the end of 2020 came the golden opportunity. The interest rates on loans were fairly low and corporate America was working from home due to Covid,” he said.
People blame their height for their shortcomings personally and professionally. They feel it is limiting them in all spheres of life
Dr Michael Assayag,
Sinai Hospital, Maryland
“Therefore, I knew if I had this surgery and was bedridden, I could still work remotely.”
Dr Michael Assayag, who carried out the procedure, said demand for the surgery is soaring, with patients coming to him from around the world, including from the UAE.
“In the past two years, I have noticed a huge increase in interest. In 2017, I used to get two inquiries a week. I now get up to five a day,” he said.
Recent media coverage has shown that leg lengthening is “not science fiction”, he said.
“It is a method that works, is predictable and gives good results in the right hands … The technology is getting better and better.”
Twenty years ago, leg lengthening was done with cumbersome external mechanisms.
“Nowadays, the lengthening is done with very sleek internal devices. It makes the recovery much more comfortable and quicker,” Dr Assayag said.
Such advances make it easier for patients to undergo the procedure while continuing to work remotely or at a desk job.
Still, the process is arduous. Limb lengthening takes months, and the surgery is not the easiest to undergo.
Complications can include a discrepancy in leg length, arthritis, injuries to nerves and muscles being overly stretched.
Surgeons break the leg bones then fit a metal rod, known as a Stryde Precice Nail, between the two pieces.
The nail pulls the bones apart by 1mm a day. Bone regenerates to fill the gap and the process continues until the desired height is reached.
A maximum of 8cm of growth is recommended, though some people choose to get both their thigh and shin bones stretched for even greater lengthening.
'Height dysphoria'
So why do people choose to undergo an expensive and seemingly drastic procedure only to gain a few centimetres?
“This is a subset of people who are unhappy with their height and feel that society has set a standard of height a man should be and what height a woman should be,” Dr Assayag explained.
“People blame their height for their shortcomings personally and professionally. They feel it is limiting them in all spheres of life.”
Dr Dror Paley, another expert who has been carrying out leg-lengthening surgery for more than three decades, says patients suffer from “height dysphoria”.
In plain English, it means being unhappy with one’s height.
“Height dysphoria is about personal body image, not height,” Dr Paley, who runs a clinic in Palm Beach, Florida, told The National.
“All of these patients had a similar psychological profile – they perceived themselves as short. They weren't doing it to become basketball players.
“They were doing things like stuffing their shoes or trying to avoid standing next to other people in a line.
“You might judge someone who is five foot, 10 inches (1.78 metres) as not short, but some people [of that height] see themselves as short. Height dysphoria is about personal body image, not height.”
Limb lengthening dates back to the turn of the 20th century, with the surgery first being performed in Italy.
However, it came of age in the 1950s thanks to work pioneered by a Soviet orthopaedic surgeon, Gavriil Ilizarov, who treated soldiers injured in the Second World War.
“I was the first North American to go and study with him,” Dr Paley said. “His technique was unknown to the West until 1981.”
The surgery’s prime purpose was to treat complicated fractures and help patients whose legs were of different lengths.
Even now, the overwhelming majority of operations are for this cohort of patients, Dr Paley added.
“We do about 100 stature-lengthenings a year compared with 500-600 correcting limb-lengthening discrepancies,” he said.
Recovery is slow, with the patient needing crutches, a walking frame or even a wheelchair for several months.
And the procedure is far from cheap. Dr Paley charges $95,000.
“But it covers everything, the surgeon’s fee, hospitalisation and three months of physical therapy,” he said.
“There is a lot of competition between centres. Unlike other treatments, there is not a lot of experience in doing this surgery.
“People unwittingly are deciding on the basis of a few thousand dollars, rather than taking into account the experience of the person doing the operation.”
Dr Paley said there has been a tremendous increase in demand for cosmetic limb lengthening. But the procedure is not to be considered lightly, as it can come with “horrible complications including disability and death”.
There have been no such problems for Mr Fayyaz.
“This surgery sounds more barbaric than it truly is. After the surgery, when your bones are broken, you are not in constant pain.
“The actual discomfort experienced by patients primarily stems from the process of lengthening the bones, rather than the surgery itself.”
It was worth it, he said.
“Dr Assayag not only lengthened me, but he also fixed my brain. While the procedure itself focused on physical changes, it had a tremendous impact on my self-confidence and helped address associated mental health issues.”
'I never wanted to be short'
Mark Walker, 24, from New Jersey has no regrets about undergoing the operation, which was also performed by Dr Assayag and cost close to $70,000.
He went from five foot, six inches (1.68 metres) to five foot, 9.5 inches (1.77 metres), which is a little bit taller than the US average.
“I am exactly one year after surgery. I feel great right now,” he said.
“I feel zero pain one year after. I can do everything I could before and my athletic performance is close to what it was before.
“I can touch my toes. I have full knee-bending ability, and most of my muscular strength has returned.”
The main adjustment has been getting used to having a higher centre of gravity.
“Anyone who wants to can make a full recovery if they are dedicated to it,” Mr Walker told The National. He added that the surgery was “most definitely” worth it.
“It was everything I expected it to be. It has improved my self-esteem,” he said.
“I never wanted to be short. Having this height was something I always wanted. Having more height as a male benefits me tremendously.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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The biog
Name: Greg Heinricks
From: Alberta, western Canada
Record fish: 56kg sailfish
Member of: International Game Fish Association
Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Al Montaqem, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m | Winner: Daber W’Rsan, Connor Beasley, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m | Winner: Bainoona, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: AF Makerah, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 | Winner: AF Motaghatres, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,600m | Winner: Tafakhor, Ronan Whelan, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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