FOR diminutive men such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy, famously overshadowed by his wife Carla Bruni, a pair of stack heels used to be the only way to stand tall.

But a surgeon has devised a new way of adding up to 5cm to a person's height by inserting a silicone head implant.

During a 90-minute operation, an incision is made in the side of the head and the implant squeezed in between the skull and the scalp.

Dr Luis de la Cruz developed the procedure to help people who would normally be too short for jobs with a minimum height.

He claims would-be soldiers, police officers, flight stewards, models and firefighters are lining up for the surgery at his Madrid clinic. The operation costs from $8500 and is performed using a local anaesthetic. Patients are usually released from hospital the next day, and the only sign they have had surgery is a small scar, usually covered by their hair.

Dr de la Cruz, 47, has already carried out the operation on 17 patients.

"It is a relatively simple procedure that can have a wonderfully positive effect on the patient's life," he said.

I hang my (non-silicone-enhanced) head in shame and disappointment.

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