im 15 and i had it done to my right arm when i was 14..they took out 3 mm of bone & put a plate and 6 pins in my arm due to my bone rubbing on my cartilage..i had a recovery time of 11 weeks due to the fact i play basketball..but its normally 6-8 weeks..its worth having it done..it makes alot of difference..and after a year you can even have it taken out.so its not that bad at all