OUR STATURE TEAM
The Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute Stature Lengthening Center is centered around our patients needs, offering coordinated care with all necessary medical services, including new patient consultation, radiology, surgery, postoperative appointments, physical therapy, and lengthening, all in one single location. Our entire staff of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, orthopedic technologists, and office and support staff, all work in one building, allowing our staff to communicate quickly and effectively, ensuring the highest level of care for each of our patients throughout all stages of their treatment.
DROR PALEY, MD, FRCSC
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Speaks English, Hebrew, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and can converse to a more limited extent in Portuguese, German and Arabic.
Dror Paley, MD, FRCSC, is the founder (2009) and director of the Paley Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. Prior to that he was the founder (2001) and director of the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, and the director of the International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL) at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore from 2001-2009. He was the Chief of Pediatric Orthopedics at the University of Maryland in Baltimore 1987- 2001. He is internationally recognized as the most experienced limb lengthening surgeon in the world having performed more than 20,000 limb lengthening surgeries during his more than 30 year career.
CRAIG ROBBINS, MD
ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON
Speaks English
Craig Robbins was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in English, and then ultimately returned home to graduate from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1999. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Tulane University in New Orleans in 2004. Dr. Robbins then completed his pediatric orthopedic fellowship in Memphis, TN, at the Campbell Clinic, in 2005. Following this, he completed a mini-fellowship in limb deformity correction with Dr. Paley in Baltimore.
JOHN ROBB, PA-C
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Speaks English
John Robb is a certified Physician Assistant at the Paley Orthopedic & Institute since 2009, when Dr. Paley first moved to West Palm Beach Florida. He is very experienced in all aspect of limb lengthening surgery and its postoperative management.
ALLAN LOESCH, PA-C
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Speaks English
Allan Loesch is a certified Physician Assistant who joined the Paley Institute in 2017. In 2012, He is a graduate of the US Army Interservice Physician Assistant Program in Fort Sam Houston, TX. He remains in the US Army reserves until the present time.
dAYNA HAGERTY, NP
NURSE
ANGELIQUE KELLER, RN
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STATURE LENTHENGING
Speaks English & Chinese
Angelique manages the Stature Lengthening program at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute. She coordinates all aspects of care for stature lengthening patients. She is the liaison between patients, surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists and other members of the medical team helping patients navigate through the support services of the Institute. Angelique also assists patients with their housing and home healthcare needs. Angelique is licensed registered nurse who has had extensive working experience in the preoperative surgery environment.
LINA KEBEDE
PATIENT COORDINATOR
Speaks English, French, Arabic & Amharic
Lina is a certified Medical Assistant who joined the Paley Institute in 2019. She coordinates all aspects of care for stature lengthening patients. She is the liaison between patients, surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists and other members of the stature team. Lina helps patients navigate through the support services of the Institute. She also assists patients with their housing and home healthcare needs.
FRAN GUARDO, DPT
DIRECTOR OF REHABILATION
Speaks English and Spanish
Fran Guardo has worked in the field of movement science since the 1985, first as an Exercise Scientist, and since 1999 as a Physical Therapist. She has worked in a myriad of settings and diagnoses across the lifespan. In 2009, she became the Director of Rehabilitation for the Paley Advanced Limb Lengthening Institute and had the opportunity to build the department from the ground up.
mARCIA HAINES
ARNP
Speaks English & Spanish
Marcia is a Registered Nurse Practicioner and administrates the Advanced Orthopedic Institute at St. Mary’s Medical Center. She has worked with Dr. Paley since 2010. She is responsible for the inpatient postoperative management of the Stature Lengthening patient after they arrive to the Hospital Special Surgical Care Floor. She sees patients daily during the week and is involved in ensuring the highest level of postoperative care and communication with the surgeons and other health care providers. She works closely with the hospital therapists and case managers to provide smooth transition from inpatient to outpatient.
OSIRIS AHUATZIN
ARNP
Speaks English & Spanish
Osiris is a Registered Nurse Practitioner at the Advanced Orthopedic Institute at St. Mary’s Medical Center working with Dr. Paley since 2017. She is involved in the daily clinical postoperative care of the stature lengthening patient and works hand in hand with Marcia Haines.
EMILY WARD
CASE MANAGER
Speaks English and Spanish
Emily is a case manager at the Advanced Orthopedic Institute of St. Mary’s Medical Center. She is responsible for the discharge organization and planning for each patient. She works closely with the rest of the team to make sure that each patient has the necessary support devices (wheelchair, walker, crutches, bedside commode, splints, etc) as well as home health care and medications for support to facilitate outpatient discharge from hospital.
CRAIG LAWRENCE
Speaks English
Craig prepares all of the cost invoices for patients before they come for surgery and his team does all of the financial arrangements for payment, reimbursement, reconciliation of payment, etc.
ALLAN LOESCH, PA-C
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Speaks English
Allan Loesch is a certified Physician Assistant who joined the Paley Institute in 2017. In 2012, He is a graduate of the US Army Interservice Physician Assistant Program in Fort Sam Houston, TX. He remains in the US Army reserves until the present time.
Hima Arramraju, MPA-C
Physician Assistant
Speaks English & Hindi
Hima Arramraju is a board certified Physician Assistant joined Paley Institute in April of 2023. She has B.A in Psychology from Wichita State University and Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from University of Nebraska Medical Center. She worked in Greater Philadelphia area for over 15 years in multiple surgical specialties including Orthopedics and recently relocated to West Palm Beach.
ANGELIQUE KELLER, RN
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STATURE LENTHENGING
Speaks English & Chinese
Angelique manages the Stature Lengthening program at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute. She coordinates all aspects of care for stature lengthening patients. She is the liaison between patients, surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists and other members of the medical team helping patients navigate through the support services of the Institute. Angelique also assists patients with their housing and home healthcare needs. Angelique is licensed registered nurse who has had extensive working experience in the preoperative surgery environment.
LINA KEBEDE
PATIENT COORDINATOR
Speaks English, French, Arabic & Amharic
Lina is a certified Medical Assistant who joined the Paley Institute in 2019. She coordinates all aspects of care for stature lengthening patients. She is the liaison between patients, surgeons, physician assistants, physical therapists and other members of the stature team. Lina helps patients navigate through the support services of the Institute. She also assists patients with their housing and home healthcare needs.
FRAN GUARDO, DPT
DIRECTOR OF REHABILATION
Speaks English and Spanish
Fran Guardo has worked in the field of movement science since the 1985, first as an Exercise Scientist, and since 1999 as a Physical Therapist. She has worked in a myriad of settings and diagnoses across the lifespan. In 2009, she became the Director of Rehabilitation for the Paley Advanced Limb Lengthening Institute and had the opportunity to build the department from the ground up.
mARCIA HAINES
ARNP
Speaks English & Spanish
Marcia is a Registered Nurse Practicioner and administrates the Advanced Orthopedic Institute at St. Mary’s Medical Center. She has worked with Dr. Paley since 2010. She is responsible for the inpatient postoperative management of the Stature Lengthening patient after they arrive to the Hospital Special Surgical Care Floor. She sees patients daily during the week and is involved in ensuring the highest level of postoperative care and communication with the surgeons and other health care providers. She works closely with the hospital therapists and case managers to provide smooth transition from inpatient to outpatient.
OSIRIS AHUATZIN
ARNP
Speaks English & Spanish
Osiris is a Registered Nurse Practitioner at the Advanced Orthopedic Institute at St. Mary’s Medical Center working with Dr. Paley since 2017. She is involved in the daily clinical postoperative care of the stature lengthening patient and works hand in hand with Marcia Haines.
EMILY WARD
CASE MANAGER
Speaks English and Spanish
Emily is a case manager at the Advanced Orthopedic Institute of St. Mary’s Medical Center. She is responsible for the discharge organization and planning for each patient. She works closely with the rest of the team to make sure that each patient has the necessary support devices (wheelchair, walker, crutches, bedside commode, splints, etc) as well as home health care and medications for support to facilitate outpatient discharge from hospital.
CRAIG LAWRENCE
Speaks English
Craig prepares all of the cost invoices for patients before they come for surgery and his team does all of the financial arrangements for payment, reimbursement, reconciliation of payment, etc.
Dots on the map below represent the origin of stature lengthening patients
The Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute Stature Center is the most experienced place in the world to have this surgery. Dr. Dror Paley is the most experienced limb lengthening surgeon in the world for both stature lengthening and for lengthening for limb length He has performed over 20,000 limb-lengthening surgeries since 1986. He has the best track record of success with all types of limb lengthening. This is very important as regards safety. His protégé, Dr. Craig Robbins, has been working with him on Stature Lengthening for the past five years and helps Dr. Paley with almost every stature surgery and also helps with the follow-up office visits. Together they have the largest and safest experience in the world with STATURE LENGTHENING. The rest of the stature lengthening team includes physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and one Nurse Coordinator. Our four physician assistants; John Robb, Vera Gray, Allan Loesch, and Michelle Hyland are very experienced in helping with the surgery and outpatient management. Our two nurse practitioners Marcia Haines and Osiris Ahuatzin are exceptional with inpatient management.
They are available all day in the inpatient surgical unit where the stature patients stay for three to four nights. Our case manager Emily Ward organizes all the discharge needs of the patients. The entire team approach is coordinated by Angelique Keller, RN. Angelique is present at each stature consultation. She is the central point person who helps with all aspects of care including booking of consultation and surgery, patient housing, etc. Finally Angelique’s assistant Sylwia Kaczmarek works behind the scenes to coordinate all of these aspects.
Limb lengthening can lead to many complications. Unlike other types of cosmetic surgery, limb lengthening can lead to chronic pain and disability. Therefore the most important factor to consider is NOT COST, but rather SAFETY. There are many centers around the world offering stature lengthening at cheaper prices than at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute Stature Center. There are no other centers offering limb lengthening as safely as at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute Stature Center. SAFETY is the most important consideration when choosing where to go.
Safety comes from EXPERIENCE and organization. At the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute Stature Center, we provide the most experienced limb lengthening team in the world with the best safety track record in the world. The multidisciplinary, organized team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, orthopedic technologists, and patient coordinators, etc. All of which are dedicated to the limb lengthening process makes it safe, secure, and as streamlined as possible.
The RELIABILITY of the team gives peace of mind knowing that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year the team is there to provide care for all of our patients from around the world. Finally, we have achieved excellent results in all of our patients, demonstrating the REPRODUCIBILITY of the methods we use.