A Tall Tale: Missing Man Undergoes Unusual Surgery

How a 22-year-old-man in Hyderabad goes missing, to undergo a surgery few people have heard about!

Nikhil is 5.7-feet tall and reportedly wanted to increase his height by about three inches. (Photo: The Quint)

A 22-year-old-man in Hyderabad went missing from his home on Sunday. His parents filed a missing report with the police, only to discover that the boy was actually admitted in the hospital, for a surgery that few people have heard about!

Nikhil Reddy, a resident of Petbasheerabad area in Hyderabad, has undergone limb-lengthening surgery at the Global Hospital in Saifabad area. Nikhil is 5.7 feet tall and reportedly wanted to increase his height by about three inches.

The Phone Gets Traced to the Hospital

On Sunday, Nikhil went missing from his house along with some cash and jewellery. The concerned parents lodged a missing complaint with the local police stations and in the course of the investigation, the police traced his mobile phone to Global Hospital, Lakdi-ka-pul in Saifabad area.

The parents had no clue about the surgery and as they landed at the hospital with police, they found out that their son was in the operation theatre undergoing leg-lengthening surgery. The doctors say Nikhil would require six months of treatment to normalise and start walking again.

Leg-lengthening, also called ‘deformity-correction’ surgery, is used to lengthen deformed or missing bones. The surgery is mostly conducted on people who have unequal limbs, for correcting dwarfism, or in accident cases when the limbs are damaged. It’s a painful surgical procedure that requires intense post-operative care for several months. 

Nikhil’s father, Goverdhan Reddy, broke down after seeing his son in surgical ICU. In a video that emerged after the surgery, Nikhil can be seen lying on the hospital bed with surgical clippers on both his legs. The parents are now demanding action against the hospital for conducting the surgery without their consent.

According to the hospital, Nikhil had been in touch with them for last few months and had signed a consent letter. (Photo: Video Grab)

‘No Need for Consent From the Parents’

The hospital, however, says since Nikhil is a major, there was no need to take consent
from his parents. Nikhil had been in touch with the hospital for last few months and had signed a consent letter.

The hospital has also clarified that the surgery does not fall under the clinical guidelines of medico-legal cases and hence police was not informed of the same.

Patient Mr. Nikhil Reddy has been fully explained about the risk, cost of treatment and due consent was taken from the patient and treatment given. As per the declaration the patient has given the date of birth as January 23rd, 1994 and the hospital in no way is legally bound to check the credentials and background of the patient unless anything suspicious is noted. 

Statement from The Global Hospital

According to the hospital, the surgery cost Nikhil a sum of three lakh rupees, out of which he had already submitted two lakhs to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Saifabad police has registered a case under section 336 of IPC that deals with endangering the life or personal safety of a person against Global Hospital. The police says they are investigating whether any rules had been violated while conducting this surgery.

Nikhil’s parents are now at the hospital with him.