Considering A Face-Lift For Your Feet?
Women Going Under The Knife For The Sake Of Fashion
UPDATED: 3:41 p.m. EST November 19, 2003
NEW YORK -- On a walk down Madison Avenue, you'll be hard pressed to find a woman without heels.
Now, the extra-high, extra-pointy heel is en vogue, thanks to the trend-setting ladies of "Sex in the City." The show's stars even have their own display in windows at Barney's this season, which means they are a fashion must -- and some are willing to get their feet surgically altered to wear those shoes.
With cosmetic foot surgery -- something like a "face-lift" for your feet -- women can wear their heels with a little less discomfort.
Dr. Suzanne Levine, a New York podiatrist, said she can help get women's feet into high-fashion shape. She can get rid of bunions, corns, and hammertoes, among other undesirable ailments of the feet
"You don't want to trade the bunion in for an unsightly scar that doesn't look pretty," Levine said. "[I go] a step further than traditional surgery."
Levine follows up surgery with laser treatments that can turn terrible toes into works of art. Not only do the treatments help reduce pain, but they can also help people better fit into shoes.
Dr. Eric Leonheart of Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia said cosmetic foot surgery and regular foot surgery are basically the same thing. The procedures are typically covered by most insurance policies because it is a medical necessity, and not a fashion accessory. Most of Levine's surgeries are also covered by insurance.
"In the marketing of a face-lift for the feet, I think it is misleading, and another ploy to get patients into your office," Leonheart said.
But not all patients agree with Leonheart. Gloria Diaz is a flight attendant formerly plagued with hammertoes. Now, after getting cosmetic surgery on her feet, she says her toes are twinkling.
"My feet feel so much better. I don't have that pain anymore on the tops of my toes, and I'm not constantly peeling the blisters off my toes," she said.
Diaz was back in heels a week after the surgery, and she says she has no regrets.
"I don't care what my feet feel like," she said. "I will wear a beautiful shoe no matter how much it hurts if I have to, but now it doesn't have to hurt!"
Now, the extra-high, extra-pointy heel is en vogue, thanks to the trend-setting ladies of "Sex in the City." The show's stars even have their own display in windows at Barney's this season, which means they are a fashion must -- and some are willing to get their feet surgically altered to wear those shoes.
With cosmetic foot surgery -- something like a "face-lift" for your feet -- women can wear their heels with a little less discomfort.
Dr. Suzanne Levine, a New York podiatrist, said she can help get women's feet into high-fashion shape. She can get rid of bunions, corns, and hammertoes, among other undesirable ailments of the feet
"You don't want to trade the bunion in for an unsightly scar that doesn't look pretty," Levine said. "[I go] a step further than traditional surgery."
Levine follows up surgery with laser treatments that can turn terrible toes into works of art. Not only do the treatments help reduce pain, but they can also help people better fit into shoes.
Dr. Eric Leonheart of Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia said cosmetic foot surgery and regular foot surgery are basically the same thing. The procedures are typically covered by most insurance policies because it is a medical necessity, and not a fashion accessory. Most of Levine's surgeries are also covered by insurance.
"In the marketing of a face-lift for the feet, I think it is misleading, and another ploy to get patients into your office," Leonheart said.
But not all patients agree with Leonheart. Gloria Diaz is a flight attendant formerly plagued with hammertoes. Now, after getting cosmetic surgery on her feet, she says her toes are twinkling.
"My feet feel so much better. I don't have that pain anymore on the tops of my toes, and I'm not constantly peeling the blisters off my toes," she said.
Diaz was back in heels a week after the surgery, and she says she has no regrets.
"I don't care what my feet feel like," she said. "I will wear a beautiful shoe no matter how much it hurts if I have to, but now it doesn't have to hurt!"
Roots Of Foot Pain
About 15 to 20 percent of patients who experience foot pain at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine have something called an IPK, or intractable plantar keratoma. Doctors say it's like a very painful corn. To cure this, doctors usually can shave them down -- which isn't as painful as it sounds. "I would be almost like giving someone a haircut or to cut someone's toenails," said Dr. Michael Trepal of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. "It's not living tissue. It's dead, thickened skin tissue." After the doctors remove the IPK, they make an insole to take weight off the affected area to try to help slow down the process of the corn reforming. However, it's often a losing battle. "This will be a reoccurring problem as soon as the person begins to go out and walk again, it will start to build up," Trepal said. Another common problem, bunions, can also be fixed. "What this problem is due to is a malpositioning or a shifting of the bone at the base of the big toe joint," Trepal said. "This bone here moves over and creates a prominence, the side of the bone rubs on the shoe." Many people blame high-heeled shoes with pointed toes for bunions, but most of the time, bunions are genetic. Typically, surgery is often the best way to fix this problem. "The treatment of this would involve the cutting of the bone somewhere along the shaft of this bone to reposition it and to narrow the foot," Trepal said. If your heel hurts, it could be due to stretching or swelling of the ligament at the bottom of the foot. Doctors call this plantar fascitis, and it can usually be treated with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory pills. Another common condition that can be fixed is an ingrown, or infected, toenail. It sounds simple, but it can cause a major problem in a diabetic or someone with a circulatory problem. Anything that causes infection in the foot for these people can lead to gangrene, which can lead to amputation.Copyright 2003 by Lifewhile.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
