More women are resorting to foot surgery to get a comfortable fit inside a pair of high heels.
Doctors and foot surgeons are seeing an increase in requests by women for a variety of foot procedures, such as shortening of toes or the removal of the entire pinky toe in order to fit into high heeled shoes.
According to a report by the American Podiatric Medical Association, nearly eighty percent of women say they suffer from foot problems due to uncomfortable or tight shoes.
Susan Deming said foot pain prevented her from wearing heels and sandals, so she decided to have surgery.
“I was having calluses, and just, all sorts of problems with my left foot. And there finally was a solution. There’s never been a solution before,” said Deming.
Deming’s problem was that a few toes on her left foot were longer than the others, which left her with different size feet. She couldn’t buy two shoes in different sizes, so she often walked with nagging pain in her left foot. She underwent surgery to remove a small portion of her second toe on her left foot, and has been pleased with the results.
“I’ve never felt this good about something I’ve done,” she added. “If it’s vain, it’s vain.”
While shortening or amputating a toe are some of the more extreme procedures that make wearing heels less painful, doctors also pursue other options. Many women opt to have bunions removed, and doctors can even inject collagen into the foot for added cushion.
Even though it is becoming more popular, certain associations don’t believe foot procedures for cosmetic purposes are a smart decision.
“Surgery performed solely for the purpose of improving the appearance or size of the foot or ankle carries risks without medical benefit, and therefore should not be undertaken,” said the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons in a statement.
Dr. Silverman Comments
Performing surgery solely for cosmetic reasons is a serious problem. Typical, elective, non-cosmetic surgery is done out of necessity, usually to fix a broken bone, treat pain, correct deformity or improve function. Cosmetic surgery can usually be avoided.
Buying a better fitting or wider shoe may not look as appealing as a slim fitting high heel, but they are much more practical. It is unfortunate that our cultural standards perceive beauty in such a slim, uncomfortable form, but there are plenty of beautiful shoes out there that do not require toe amputation.
Related Source:
Fox News