Plastic Foot Surgeon?

To what lengths would you go for a more beautiful foot? I have already shared with you the chemical peel for dry, cracked feet called Baby Foot which we carry. But a new trend among Podiatrist is the request for “cosmetic” foot surgery. More and more people have been inquiring about toe shortening procedures to fit into more petite shoes, collagen injection to their fat pads for wearing high heels, removing toe nails and replacing them with fake ones for fungal infections and even surgically removing their 5th toes for tighter shoes.

The biggest, most obvious problem with cosmetic foot surgery is as we say in Texas, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”! Foot surgery like any other surgery carries with it the risk of infection, blood clot and complications of anesthesia. These should outweigh any aesthetic benefits from cosmetic surgery. However this will not impede every surgeon from performing these procedures. For example, if a patient has pain associated with a hammertoe or bunion, it may require surgery. When indicated, surgery may be performed and have a secondary benefit of being cosmetically pleasing.

Is there a place for other options? Yes. Using collagen injections to add padding to the ball of the foot is an option but it is very expensive and not covered by insurance and doesnt last very long. This treatment can also carry risks as well especially when the doctor has not had training in it.

Treating nails with fungus is treated with laser which has shown to be much more effective (nothing is 100% effective) than other forms of treatment but again is not covered by insurance.

In the end there are many more options, including surgery to achieve cosmetic feet. Conservative treatments such as making the choice to wear properly fitting shoes would be the first option (good luck telling that to a patient who wants to wear the high heels).

For more information as to what is right for you, contact Dr. Jeffrey Bowman of Houston Foot Specialists at 713-467-8886 or visit the website www.houstonfootspecialists.com for more information and online appointments.

Category: Surgery

Tags: Cosmetic Foot Surgery, Foot Surgery, High Heels Surgery, Plastic Surgery