Limb Lengthening

Dear Ask The Doctor: Well m from india..m of 17 years...and my height is 5"1. my mother's height is-5"3 my father's height is-5"10 my brother's height is 5"11 but i am so short.please suggest me some supplements(WHICH ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA) or some exercise to increase my height. also,i heard about LIMB LENGTHENING SURGERY..can i go for it at 17?does it have any side effects?what is the cost of the surgery?

Dear Kritika: Your distress with your height is certainly understandable. You are still in your growth spurt and your present height is unlikely to be your final height in adulthood. A normal, balanced diet is usually all that is required to facilitate adequate growth. Before considering any supplements, you should have yourself checked for any hormone deficiencies which may be inhibiting growth. The most common deficiency which causes this problem is insufficient Human Growth hormone. If there is no such deficiency then you may consider limb-lengthening surgery. Such a procedure should only be performed after you have completed your growth spurt which normally ends with your teen years.