Meet the limb-lengthening Californian surgeon who purposely breaks men’s legs so they can become 6ft

With his slicked back hair and carefully practised smile, he might look your ordinary Los Angeles surgeon. 

However Dr Shahab Mahboubian does not specialise in age-defying face lifts, boob jobs or any other Hollywood-loved op.

Instead, he focuses solely on lengthening limbs — an eye-watering procedure which can make someone six inches taller. Yet it can cost up to $170,000 (£134,000).

The operation involves purposely breaking both legs. Afterwards, magnetic rods are placed inside snapped femurs and tibias and then carefully stretched out over a few months using a remote-controlled device.

More men than ever are now undergoing the procedure in desperation of adding an extra few inches to their height, according to Dr Mahboubian. 

Dr Shahab Mahboubian, 47, from Burbank, California, can stretch his patients’ limbs by up to 5.6 inches

The surgeon, who runs the Height Lengthening Institute, said he has ‘definitely seen more requests’ and around 80 per cent of his clients are men

It costs £60,000 for the lengthening of your thigh and at least £65,000 for your shin, but he says people will have the painful treatment because they believe they will look more attractive to women

In fact, the 47-year-old claims to be performing twice as many surgeries at his clinic in Burbank, California, now compared to just three years ago. Eighty per cent of his clientele are men, too.

Why? Well, Dr Mahboubian claims it is because men think becoming taller will make them more attractive to women. 

Dr Mahboubian, who owns the Height Lengthening Institute, said: ‘Being short can cause a huge psychological and mental impact on a person’s life and can decrease their confidence.

‘Those who undergo the surgery desire an increase in their self-confidence and they are sick of feeling inferior to others.’

He added: ‘The psychological positive impact and boost in self-esteem after getting taller is tremendous and truly beautiful to witness.’

The rise has been attributed to the ‘Tinder Generation’s’ obsession with dating taller men.

Offering another potential reason to explain why the majority of his clients are men, Dr Mahboubian said: ‘Women can wear high heels to increase their height.

‘Also, men are generally more attractive and successful when they are taller.’

Surgery involves cutting the bone and inserting magnetic rods and pins inside the leg.

For the next three to four months, the legs are lengthened by up to 1 millimeter, or 0.04 inches, every day with an external remote control. This helps new bone grow over the rods.

Patients then undergo several months of physical therapy and have to walk with a mobility aid, such as a walker or crutches.

In one TikTok post, he explains how the procedure works, showing the large nail that is implanted into the leg

The nails work by breaking at least two leg bones in half. Nails are then drilled into either end of each femur or tibia, which is slowly teased apart with magnets over weeks while it heals naturally, resulting in a longer bone. But it can leave patients in agony and wheelchair-bound during the process, with months of physiotherapy needed afterwards

Dr Mahboubian’s clinic offers femur or tibia lengthening individually, although it can still cost around $90,000 (£71,000).

For those seeking better results, it promises a ‘combined’ procedure spread three to four weeks apart.

The surgery has come a long way since it was first developed in the early 1950s as a means of treating injuries to soldiers by Soviet doctor Gavriil Ilizarov.

It used external, round frames that were drilled into the bone, which could extend and straighten the legs.

The process works in a similar way to the internal magnet technique, except the telescopic rods are outside the body and can be extended by turning the screws manually.

Nonetheless, like any surgery, the new process is not without complications. 

Joint dislocation, blood clots and a fatal condition caused by oil coming out the rod ends ending up in the lungs are just some of the many potential risks. 

Not only are there a long list of issues but the procedure and recovery is agonising – one man was in so much pain he couldn’t sleep. 

While some men believe it will make them more attractive, others do it in the hope to look like their childhood heroes. 

Then and now: After the surgery, Alfonso Flores, 28, from Dallas, Texas, stands at 6ft 1, having grown by two inches as a result of a cutting-edge procedure

Alfonso was able to take his first rehabilitation steps just one day after surgery. Pictured: X-ray before surgery (left) and after with the implants (right)

Alfonso Flores, 28, went from 5ft 11 to 6ft 1 to be more like the basketball players he grew up with.

While Alfonso is not one of Dr Mahboubian patients, the surgeon shares his equally successful results on social media.

He has has 170,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram combined. Pictures show men going from 5ft4in to 5ft7in after the procedure.