Health3 min(s) read
Published 12:48 06 May 2026 GMT
A woman who paid a six-figure sum to surgically extend her legs has been left with many regrets, years after the operation.
We've all had the thought about what life could be like if we were that much taller, and thanks to the advancement of the medical industry, it's now possible to get cosmetic surgery on your legs.
Theresia Fischer, a reality TV star turned influencer, was a respectable five feet six inches (167.6cm) when she decided to undergo the operation.
Aged 24 at the time, she was pleased with the decision to go through with the operation, but in her 30s, she admitted that it may not have been the best choice.
The $161,000 operation meant the former German Celebrity Big Brother contestant gained 5.5 inches (14cm) in height, due to her artificially elongated leg bones.
According to Cleveland Clinic, the procedure can be medically used to treat differences in the length of the legs, but it can also treat conditions that cause bone growth irregularities or shorter bone length.
As with most cosmetic surgeries, the operation does not come without risks, and experts have warned of there being long-term problems for those who go under the knife.
Speaking to the BBC, Professor Hamish Simpson, of the British Orthopaedic Association, explained: “The techniques and technology have improved substantially over the past couple of decades, making it a safer procedure.
“However, as well as growing more bone – more muscle, nerve, blood vessels, and skin have to be grown and the procedure remains an extremely complex process, with a high complication rate.”
Speaking back in August 2023, the reality star told radio network MDR Jump that her ex-boyfriend pushed her to get the operation.
She said, via Daily Star, that her boyfriend urged: “‘Theresia, you know I like big ladies. So I would really like this. You could get up to 14 centimeters more.'”
“[He would say] ‘You can’t do anything without me. You need me.’ And if you are told that 20, 30, 60, 70 times – then you believe that you are nothing without him,” she reflected, aged 31 at the time.
Theresia said that she was 'happy' with her body, but now, she feels 'shame' about being pressured to change how she looked, for someone else.
“I am ashamed because I consented to an operation that (I) shouldn’t have had,” the influencer added.
The effects of the procedure go beyond emotions, as Theresia revealed that she now suffers from periosteum inflammation.
This is what happens when the connective tissue that surrounds bones becomes inflamed, and it led to her quitting a German version of the Battle of the Reality Stars show.
She now finds it difficult to film reality TV shows, especially where she has to run, or move quickly around the set: “When I had to run a little or be faster – it’s just strange to run with metal in your legs,” Fischer said.
According to the Mirror, the influencer was told that the fibula bone in one of her legs hadn't grown as planned, and she now awaits the day when she can have the metal rods removed from her legs.
