The controversial limb-lengthening surgery set for Australia

A potentially high-risk surgery – where bones in your leg are broken, a rod inserted and extended – is coming to Australia. 

Dec 02, 2025, updated Dec 02, 2025

Limb-lengthening surgery – where bones in your leg are broken, a rod inserted and extended – can be high risk, and is especially controversial when it’s done for cosmetic reasons. 

The procedure is a speciality of the Florida-based Paley Institute, which plans on opening an Australian arm. 

The centre is no stranger to controversy and neither is the man it is partnering up with – the once-celebrated surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis, who recently lost a defamation case against the Nine newspapers.

Today, investigative reporter at The Age, Charlotte Grieve, reveals how she exposed Al Muderis – and what she’s learned about his plans for the Paley Institute.

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Guest: Investigative reporter at The Age, Charlotte Grieve

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