Woman Admits She Regrets Spending $165,000 On Leg Extension Surgery That Made Her Taller By 5.5 Inches

Sep 06, 2023

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of emotional abuse that may be troubling for some readers.

It is normal for couples to have tensions or disagreements from time to time. In healthy relationships, such situations usually get defused quickly and properly. However, there are instances where one partner can be negative and pressure the other person based on financial, work or racial issues or some physical attributes.

According to Verywell Mind, such people can try to get their way through cynicism, criticism, whining, attacking, pessimism, discontent, perfectionism and hyper-intensity. In such cases, the partners facing undue pressure can be forced to make dangerous decisions. 

A German woman faced such undue pressure from her ex-spouse and decided to go for a leg-lengthening surgery to become taller. She gave a teaser to her story on her Instagram in March 2023 when she posted three photos and wrote:

“8.5cm + 5.5cm = 14cm !! 1 year after my 2nd Leg extension is gone.”  

The woman, Theresia Fischer, continued: “I'm super fit again by now, I can do anything (sports etc.)) and now I finally feel good in my body again. Good because I was dissatisfied before? No but that's another story You'll find out soon enough.”

Fischer revealed in an interview with MDR Jump on Aug. 29, 2023, that she was “pestered” by her ex to go through the leg-lengthening procedure, which gave her bruises along her shins. 

She also shared that she regretted having the procedure and explained her present feelings about the surgery. The former contestant on "Germany's Next Topmodel" and German "Celebrity Big Brother" had two surgeries and started when she was just 24. Before the surgery that saw surgeons inserting adjustable telescopic rods into her shins, Fischer was 5' 6''. The rods were gradually cranked up to elongate her legs, and they added 5.5 inches to her height so that she became 6ft tall.

The model now regrets paying $165,000 to get her legs elongated. In an interview with the radio network MDR Jump, she talked about why she did it as she promised on Instagram. Fischer claimed that her ex said: “Theresia, you know I like big ladies. So I would really like this. You could get up to 14 centimetres more.” He also abused her verbally. She revealed:

“(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.”

The influencer said she didn’t know about the surgery before then and was pressured to do it. Unfortunately, the duo separated in 2022, months after her second surgery.

She described the procedure to Bild per Daily Star and said that the shin bone and calf muscles were broken and split respectively to insert a telescopic rod which she could screw to stretch her legs.

Fischer also said that whereas she had always been content with her body, she became ashamed after the two procedures. 

“I am ashamed because I consented to an operation that (I) shouldn't have had. I've never dealt with that before because I've always been happy with my body,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Fischer was initially satisfied with the surgery. In 2019, she claimed that it boosted her love life. Per Daily Star, she gushed at the time, “I have become very flexible with my legs and have more room to manoeuvre in bed.” She affirmed at the time, “I now feel happy and satisfied with my legs.” Fischer also revealed that many criticized her online, but claimed back then that the operation helped her heal from the trauma of being bullied in the past.

What do you think of Theresia Fischer’s ordeal? Have you been pressured to do something you were uncomfortable with before? How did you deal with it? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family.

If you or anybody you know is struggling with domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. The Hotline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for you or your loved ones and best practices for professionals.