A man who underwent an intense and costly operation to increase his height has spoken out about what motivated him to pursue limb-lengthening surgery.
Dynzell Sigers, a 27-year-old former navy medic from Atlanta, Georgia, reportedly paid US$81,000 for the invasive procedure, which involves cutting the thigh bones in each leg, inserting rods inside of them, and lengthening the bars by up to 1 millimetre per day over the next three to four months.
Sigers, who previously stood at 5-foot-5-inches, or 165cm, underwent the surgery in December 2022 to increase his height to 6-foot, or 182cm.
Speaking to NeedToKnow.co.uk, Sigers admitted he had long been self-conscious about his height, leading to insecurity and shyness - particularly when dating - as he was often rejected by women for being "too short".
"I was always a very timid and reserved child and was always scared to be myself out of fear of being judged or unaccepted," he told the outlet.
"One time I was rejected by a girl I had a huge crush on and although she found me attractive, her reasoning was that I was too short and too young for her.
"I held on to that and would always consider my height before approaching women, which would often cause me to miss out on opportunities.
"Another major thing that stood out for me was that as much as I loved playing sports and I was very good at them, I refused to join any of my school teams because of my small stature."
While pre-surgery Sigers was "shy and soft-spoken" due to his lack of confidence, he says the extra inches have made him feel "like a new man". He now shows off his newfound height on TikTok, where he has documented his results and ongoing experience with the extreme surgery.
Uploading under the username @mrbrokenbonez, Sigers - who has amassed almost 20,000 followers on the platform - shares footage from his intensive physical therapy as well as "normal days in the life of limb lengthening".
"I looked into many different ways to get taller over the years, but there were never any realistic options. I found out about limb-lengthening and booked my appointment immediately," he told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
He said he first came across the surgery in August 2022 and immediately booked an appointment, undergoing his first operation on December 21, which was followed by an additional five surgeries.
While the surgery is most often used for medical reasons - like when one limb is much shorter than another or to correct issues after an injury - undergoing limb-lengthening for cosmetic purposes is now becoming more popular, Dr Shahab Mahboubian, a surgeon at the Height Lengthening Institute in Burbank, California, told NBC News.
According to the outlet, the initial operation - the insertion of the rods - typically takes around four hours and will cost about US$75,000, followed by months of physical therapy and regaining mobility. Removing the rods comes at an additional cost, with the whole process estimated to be around US$100,000.
Dr Mahboubian told NBC News the surgery is becoming more popular among men: he said he expects to perform 50 stature-lengthening operations in 2023, more than double of what he performed three years ago.
"The first surgery is where they surgically cut the bone and insert the internal rod in between the two halves, which connects to an external fixator through pins that protrude out your legs," Sigers explained to the outlet.
"For the next 90 days, you undergo the lengthening process where you turn a key on the external fixator triggering the internal rod to lengthen. This is done at about 1mm a day, sometimes a little more.
"At the end of the 90 days, when you reach your desired height, which is a maximum of four inches on the upper leg and three inches on the lower leg, the external fixator is removed and the internal rod is left in place."
Once the new bones have grown in, the internal rods are removed - about a year after the first operation. Sigers will likely need to undergo a further two surgeries before the procedure is finally completed.
Overall, the 27-year-old said his recovery - which has included ongoing physiotherapy and twice relearning how to walk - has been "very smooth".
"I can say that since I've completed my surgery, my confidence, self-belief, and sense of self-worth are all higher than they have ever been throughout the course of my life," he told the outlet.
"I've also been able to garner much more attention from women and I have no reservations about approaching them… I feel like a new man... as though I was able to get a second chance at life."
To date, his most viral video - which stitches together footage of his recovery and daily training post-operation - has amassed over 12.7 million views, 1.3 million likes and 32,000 comments.
"They said it wasn't possible. From 5'5 to 6'0 using limb-lengthening surgery," he captioned the clip.
Although leg or limb-lengthening is generally considered safe when performed by experienced surgeons, it comes with several risks - including nerve damage, muscle damage and joint complications. Two surgeons told Insider the procedure should be avoided where possible and used as a last resort.
