Cosmetic surgery has become more popular in recent years, and while procedures to improve the appearance of your lips, nose or skin may come to mind first when you think of a cosmetic operation, some people are pursuing these surgeries to address issues with their feet. By nature a cosmetic procedure isn’t a necessary procedure, and since all operations carry additional risks, is it really worth it to pursue a cosmetic foot procedure? In today’s blog, we explain when cosmetic foot surgery may be right for you.
Why Cosmetic Foot Surgery
As an orthopedic surgeon, we really only recommend surgery when other treatments have failed and an operation becomes medically necessary. This idea seems to run concurrent to the goals of cosmetic surgery, which is typically an elective/non-medically necessary surgery to address a perceived bodily flaw. There really aren’t many medically necessary reason to pursue lip fillers, but the same really can’t be said about cosmetic foot surgery. Oftentimes a procedure that aims address a perceived cosmetic issue in the foot is actually something that needs to be addressed for medical purposes. So while the end result may be cosmetically appealing, the surgery actually has real-world medical benefits for the patient. These are the instances where we recommend “cosmetic” foot surgery.
The most common cosmetic foot procedure is to address misshapen joints or damaged ligaments that are affecting bone position. For example, some procedures that may be medically recommended that will also address a visible deformity with the feet or toes include:
- Bunion correction
- Hammertoe surgery
- Claw toe surgery
- Mallet toe surgery
While all of these conditions can be managed with conservative treatments in an early stage, once the deformity progresses to a certain point, the only way to reset the joint or the toe shape is with the help of a corrective procedure. Surgery to reposition the big toe joint or elongate tight and restrictive toe ligaments can resolve physical symptoms and greatly improve the appearance of your feet. You may be more pleased with the cosmetic results, but deep down the procedure was medically necessary for the short- and long-term health of your feet.
So while we’ll never recommend injections for fuller or healthier looking feet, we are no stranger to cosmetic foot improvements through medically necessary procedures. To learn more about these options, or to discuss a foot deformity issue with Dr. Silverman, connect with his office today.