Kim Seong-eun Anchor (hereinafter Anchor): <Meeting That Person> Another name for today's protagonist is Daddy-Long-Legs. He is someone who shares various stories about height through books such as <Grow Your Growth Plate> and <Height Surgery and Complications>. Let's meet Professor Song Hae-ryong of the Department of Orthopedics at Korea University Guro Hospital. Hello, Professor? ☎ Professor Song Hae-ryong of the Department of Orthopedics at Korea University Guro Hospital (hereinafter Song Hae-ryong): Yes, hello. Anchor: You published <Height Surgery and Complications> last March, and you have now published it again as an e-book? What is the reason for publishing it as an e-book? Song Hae-ryong: Because ordinary people don't buy books often, so they can read it as an e-book, and it's easy for Koreans living abroad to access it, and also, I cut the entire book into five parts so that they can choose and view each part, so that more people can share this information. Anchor: Usually, most books related to height tell you how to grow taller, but when I read your book, it contained various stories from philosophical reflections on height to height surgery. What stories did you want to tell through the book? Song Hae-ryong: What I'm majoring in now is surgery to increase the height of patients with congenital dwarfism, whose height is 120Cm or 130Cm, because it's inconvenient for them to live their daily lives. 20~30Cm, these people need to lengthen their arms too. However, this kind of surgery is being performed a lot in private hospitals for ordinary people, patients who are shorter than average, so there are quite a few complications. So I published that book to raise awareness of those parts. If people who don't have major problems in their activities even if they are short undergo height surgery, there are various complications. If they get married and have a baby after that time before marriage, they don't have time to worry about height, but before that, height surgery is being widely popularized from a cosmetic point of view, so I published the book to give them information so that they won't regret it after knowing the complications before surgery. Anchor: I heard that your nickname is Daddy-Long-Legs. You have a great nickname. Do you like it? Song Hae-ryong: I don't like it. Because I'm also short at 163.5Cm. The word Daddy-Long-Legs doesn't suit me. However, ordinary people call me Daddy-Long-Legs to make it easier to call me. Anchor: I know that patients with short stature call you Daddy-Long-Legs? Song Hae-ryong: That's an affectionate name. Anchor: In particular, you also founded the Korean Short Stature Association LPK. How did this group come to be formed? Song Hae-ryong: 12 years ago, we had a story about 4 short brothers on KBS Human Theater, and I performed surgery on the youngest of the 4 brothers at that time, and we formed a group of short people at that time, and we appeared in 20 episodes of Human Theater. And since then, short people have formed groups all over the country, and we have been meeting twice a year for summer camp and winter camp for 12 years, with about 200 people exchanging information. However, this group is not just normal people, but a group of patients with genetically short stature. 100~130cm, so it is an organization gathered to share information such as problems when parents raise babies and preparations for surgery. So now we have a website and we are actively moving. This year, on September 1st, Samsung is inviting us to Everland in Yongin for a 2-day, 1-night event. Anchor: Then, I'm curious if there was a reason why you became interested in height, and furthermore, height surgery? Song Hae-ryong: I specialize in pediatric orthopedics in orthopedics. So there are many patients who are congenitally short or who are affected by their parents and develop it later, so I mainly see patients with congenital malformations, so I have been treating patients with shorter and crooked limbs for about 30 years rather than height. As a result, one of the reasons why patients with congenital short stature have been marginalized in Korea and formed an organization 12 years ago is that Korean society has a lot of biased misconceptions about short people. So, short people are not called dwarfism, but midgets, and they are mainly known to work in entertainment establishments. 10 years ago, but now, there are doctors of Korean medicine, professionals working at Samsung, and professors in our LPK short people's group. Anchor: Except for the fact that they don't grow physically, all parts of people with dwarfism are normal. It seems that society has many prejudices. Song Hae-ryong: That's right. Anchor: I'm curious about who is getting height surgery. Do most people get height surgery because of short stature? Song Hae-ryong: Yes, most of the people who come to me are very short, 120cm or 130cm tall. And a small number of people are considered normal, less than 10%, men are less than 150cm or less than 160cm, women are less than 140cm, and those patients increase their height by 5~8cm. Patients with general diseases increase their height by about 20cm. Anchor: It seems that people are getting surgery not because they have dwarfism, but because Korea is very interested in height. So parents are also very interested. If the growth plate is open, can the height increase, or I am short, but can my child grow a lot? There are many people who have these concerns. I think you will be more interested in your children's height before the vacation. Don't children grow a lot during vacation? Song Hae-ryong: That's right. Generally, you need to sleep well, don't do a lot of things like computers at night, growth hormones are mainly released in the early morning, so go to bed early at night, and there are also stretching exercises that help with height. You have to exercise hard, eat a balanced diet, so I have created a website. If you go in and look, I have written down the exercises and information in detail. So I think you can refer to it. Anchor: What website should I go to? Song Hae-ryong: You can go to www.lpkos.co.kr. Anchor: But what are some things you would say that we should change our thinking about height? Song Hae-ryong: Many ordinary people come to me to get height surgery, saying that if they just get taller, they can solve everything, but in fact, even after height surgery, if they don't develop their abilities, it's the same. So don't get too hung up on height, and if you develop your skills and your inner height is high before height surgery, you don't have to get height surgery to live your daily life at all. So I think it would be good to change that kind of thinking, that's what I would recommend. Anchor: You said to develop your inner height as the last thing. So far, we have talked with Professor Song Hae-ryong, who wrote <Height Surgery and Complications>. Thank you, Professor.

[Source]

YTN Radio "Meeting That Person. Interview and broadcast about Professor Song Hae-ryong, Daddy-Long-Legs for patients with short stature." 2012.06.22

Link : http://www.ytnradio.kr/program/?f=2&id=19705&s_mcd=0201&s_hcd=09