Software engineers from various tech firms are undergoing leg-lengthening procedures to increase their height.
According to a report by GQ, Kevin Debiparshad, the head of the Nevada-based LimbplastX Institute, said that software engineers from the tech sector comprise a significant chunk of his patients for the cosmetic procedure.
The Las Vegas-based cosmetic surgeon specializes in leg-lengthening procedures and helping people to grow their height by 3 to 6 inches.
"I joke that I could open a tech company. I got 20 software engineers doing this procedure right now who are here in Vegas. There was a girl from PayPal yesterday. I've got patients from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft. I've had multiple patients from Microsoft," Debiparshad said to GQ.
The cosmetic procedure may cost between $70,000 to $150,000, depending on how many inches the patient wants to "grow."
During the surgical procedure, the doctor first breaks the patients' femurs, or thigh bones, and inserts metal nails into them that can be adjusted.
The nails are then extended a tiny bit every day for three months with a magnetic remote control.
GQ quoted one software engineer saying he spent the first three months after his surgery alone in his apartment and ordered delivery food, as he grew from 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9.
Another Chicago-based software engineer said he underwent the procedure after developing deep insecurity about his height. A girl who he had "a super big crush on, like, roasted me for it," GQ reported.
"Since the onset of the pandemic's work-from-home era, the LimbplastX Institute has been seeing twice its normal number of patients," the doctor said.
A report by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says cosmetic procedures performed on men went up 325% from 1997 to 2015.
Originally published on Sept. 18, 2022.
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