I paid £36k to add 3.7inches to my height – and had to use an Allen key to stretch my legs every day

Scottish Sun

11-07-2025

'People don't understand how us short kings feel,' Irakli said
TALL TALES I paid £36k to add 3.7inches to my height – and had to use an Allen key to stretch my legs every day
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SELF-CONFESSED 'short king' Irakli Archvadze forked out £36,000 on surgery to break his legs and increase his height by almost 4 inches.
After the operation, the 36-year-old from Tbilisi, Georgia, endured months of "intense pain" having to stretch his own legs using an Allen key.
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Irakli Archvadze's leg lengthening op left him almost 4 inches taller
Credit: PA Real Life
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At 5ft 7in, the 36-year-old was unhappy with his height
Credit: PA Real Life
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The major operation involved surgeons breaking both of his legs
Credit: PA Real Life
But despite the agony, the student said it was 'worth it" - having grown from 5ft 7in to 5ft 11in.
Irakli stopped growing at the age of 15,
But with an arm span of 5ft 11.25in (181cm), he felt his arms were "too long for [his] body" and that he was out of proportion.
As he got older and entered the dating scene, he said he wore insoles to make himself appear taller.
The business PhD student claimed he was "too shy" to introduce himself to women who were taller than him, in fear of getting rejected.
And being the shortest in his friendship group, he always felt "uncomfortable".
"People don't understand how us short kings feel," he said
In May 2024, Irakli came across videos on YouTube of people having limb-lengthening surgery.
'It was a real shock for me, because I was like, 'Wow, is it really true? Is it Photoshop or is it fake?," he recalled thinking.
In August 2024, he said he visited the clinic Live Life Taller in Istanbul.
I spent £86,000 on leg lengthening ops in Turkey to grow from 6ft to 6ft 7in - I know it's crazy but I have no regrets
While there, he met the doctors and spoke with patients.
Irakli felt at the time it was a "respectable place" and decided to go ahead with the surgery.
He said he only told his sister and two of his friends about his plans
And while his sisters were shocked, but supportive, his friends said they would not consider the surgery even if they were offered a million dollars.
He scheduled his surgery for February 14, 2025 and 'wasn't nervous at all', having spent the months beforehand listening to positive podcasts.
During the procedure itself, Irakli said he was put under general anaesthetic and the surgeon broke his femurs into two.
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The surgery and rehabilitation cost approximately £36,190
Credit: PA Real Life
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The pain the student experienced during recovery was 'intense'
Credit: PA Real Life
Metal frames, called external fixators, were then attached to his legs.
These fixators sit outside the leg and are held in place by metal pins that pass through the skin and into the bone on both sides of the break.
Using an Allen key, he gradually separated the broken bones by 1mm each day, allowing new bone to grow in the gap.
When the pins go into the skin, they leave small open wounds, which are cleaned every day to stop them getting infected.
Five days after the surgery, Irakli began using an Allen key to turn the screws on the fixators every day.
This gently pulled the two ends of his broken bone apart by about 1mm each day, allowing new bone to grow in the space.
'Pain is inevitable'
Six days after surgery, he was admitted to the clinic's rehabilitation centre, where he had physiotherapy three times a week for three months.
'I stretched as much as possible and I woke up five times per night, stretched in the bed and went back to sleep, and I went to the gym almost every day,' Irakli explained.
'I used a walker to get around.
'There was some intense pain but I prepared myself mentally so it was okay, and I had painkillers too.
'Pain is inevitable in this process but I looked at the pain as progress – fear is an obstacle to a progress.
'Therefore, I pushed myself not to give up and to go forward.'
Irakli said he had to turn the fixators every day until May 10 and achieved a 3.7in (9cm) increase in his height.
The fixators stayed in place until the new bone hardened, and were removed on May 12.
Irakli said the surgery and rehabilitation have cost approximately £36,190 (42,000 euro), but it was 'worth it'.
Limb-legthening surgery explained
Limb lengthening surgery is a procedure that gradually makes an arm or leg bone longer.
It can be used to treat differences in the length of arms or legs.
It involves: Cutting the bone in two segments Attaching a limb lengthening device to the two segments of bone - either rods or a thin metal frame
Your body will create new bone to fill the gap between the two segments.
If you're lengthening a leg bone, you won't be able to walk for several weeks.
You may use a wheelchair, crutches or other aids.
If you're lengthening an arm, you won't be able to lift things for a few weeks.
Source: Cleveland Clinic
More respect from friends
Since the start of July, he has been able to walk without a walker and crutches.
He said: 'It felt amazing, I'm really satisfied with my height now and I achieved what I dreamed of.
'I think I don't get as nervous any more, I feel relaxed.
'I became stronger mentally and physically.
'I feel better about my proportions now, my arm span is still a little bit longer than my height but I feel really happy, especially with sneakers on.'
When he came back from Turkey, he said his friends 'clapped' in celebration when they saw his height for the first time.
He added: 'Everybody was shocked with my height and right now I'm taller or at the same height as my friends.
'I feel like I've got more respect from my friends now because once you go through a challenge, and once you win your battle, you are a strong person and I proved to them that I can do something that's really hard.'
'All want to be the best version of ourselves'
Irakli would encourage others to do their own research, but to those considering the surgery.
He said: 'You should turn this dream into the goal, set the steps on how to reach your goal and keep moving.
'Don't give up, you'll feel like a champion after when you are taller.
'But be patient, it takes time - think tomorrow will be better than yesterday, and you will be a better person than you were yesterday, and then it will be easier.
'In the end, we all want to be the best version of ourselves.'
The NHS states that if you are thinking about having a cosmetic procedure, it is important to do your research.
All cosmetic procedures have some risks, whether you are having a surgical procedure or a non-surgical procedure.
Cosmetic surgery is not routinely provided on the NHS.