Cosmetic Foot Surgery
Types of Cosmetic Foot Surgery
Cosmetic foot surgery is becoming increasingly popular among patients who do not like the look of their feet and want to opt for surgical enhancements. Much like cosmetic surgery in the rest of the body, this type of surgery is largely undertaken to improve the looks rather than for any strong medical reason.
In the summer, if you are avoiding wearing open-toed shoes because you do not like the way your toes look or if you are dealing with bunions from years of tight shoes, cosmetic foot surgery gives you the option of dealing decisively with your problem. Instead of letting your feet affect your quality of life, you can seek the help of a cosmetic foot surgeon. Most foot surgeons will advise you to make a couple of consultation appointments before making your final choice to go with the surgery. This allows them the opportunity to evaluate whether you are thinking of the surgery as getting a facial at the spa and it will give you an opportunity to understand the risks and benefits of the surgery. The American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) has collected data that indicates that more and more people are asking for cosmetic foot surgery and among the procedures sought popularly are the following:
Bunion removal: This is a surgery for the removal of bunions which can make for unsightly looking feel and cause tremendous pain and discomfort. In that sense it is not just a cosmetic procedure but while the emphasis earlier was on just removing the growth, in cosmetic foot surgery equal importance is given to leaving the foot scar free.
Hammertoes: This surgery is for correcting painful contraction of toes. Sometimes corns which have developed for the contraction may also need to be removed.
Tailor's bunions: This refers specifically to the bunions that develop near the small toe or the pinky.
Nail surgery: Patients who do not want to deal with the look of fungal nails or yellowing toe nails sometimes opt to have them surgically removed.
Wart surgery: As the name indicates this is a cosmetic procedure for surgically removing warts on a patient's feet.
Toe tuck: This is a way or reducing the width of the feel by making the pinky slimmer. Corns may also be removed during this procedure. Toe tucks are popular with patients who want their feet to look long and narrow in stylish shoes.
Toe shortening: Many of us have second and third toes which are longer than the big toe and this look is considered aesthetically less attractive than the descending size of toes. This surgery of toe shortening offers to option to acquire that look by reducing the length of the longer second or third toe. The surgeon removes a bone in the second segment of the toe to achieve a reduced length.
Foot face lift: The surgery is sought by patients who seek an overall improvement in the look of their feet and opt for more than one of the above-mentioned surgeries. The fit of shoes are said to be a lot better after this and many people love the fact that their feet look just right after having spent years feeling like their feet do not match the rest of their body.
The AOFAS does point out that people should not use cosmetic foot surgery for reasons of fashion and advises that it is best used by people who are suffering from pain and discomfort. Sometimes, choosing the right size shoes or avoiding wearing spiky heels everyday maybe a better solution than having a surgery to reduce the size of one's feet or removing hardened tissue in the heels. People should also factor in the cost of the surgery before making their choices as cosmetic foot surgery may be an out of pocket expense if it cannot be proven to be necessary for health reasons.