The Dangers of Cosmetic Foot Surgery

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

August 15, 2004

How should a surgeon react when asked to do this operation? A woman wishes to purchase a pair of fashionable shoes. She has no bunions or hammer toes and her feet don't hurt. But there is a problem. She's unable to wear fancy pumps because her toes are either too long or too wide. Rather than purchasing a shoe that fits she insists on cosmetic foot surgery.

Dr. Sharon Dreeben, Chairwoman of the American Foot and Ankle Society, recently held a press briefing to outline a new and dangerous trend in cosmetic surgery. She reported a survey revealed that half of the members of the Society had been asked to perform cosmetic surgery on normal feet. Moreover half had also treated patients for complications of this surgery.

Two disturbing messages emerged. 18 per cent of the members agreed they were willing to perform cosmetic operations on normal feet! And in another survey 25 per cent of the general public said they would consider cosmetic foot surgery in order to fit into fancy shoes to improve their appearance.

Dr. Nancy Kadel, Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at the University of Seattle in Washington says, the most common cosmetic procedures are toe shortening and foot narrowing.

Sometimes a huge price is paid. Some women have suffered permanent swelling of the toes. Others with deformities and infection. And if nerve injury occurs patients complain of chronic pain.

But Dr. Kadel points out the greatest irony of all. She says, "There are some patients who've had cosmetic foot surgery who cannot wear any kind of shoe comfortably".

Cosmetic foot surgery is just the latest madness. During my years of examining women I continue to be amazed at how women torture their feet due to "toe jam". I've often heard men say, "Wow, look at those legs! But if they could see the feet that admiration might dim.

Several years ago a survey of 356 women from 20 to 60 years of age in Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta showed shocking findings. 90 per cent of the women were wearing shoes at least a size and a half too small. The result was obvious. 75 per cent suffered from bunions, hammer toes and pain. Researchers concluded that women became used to a certain discomfort level in shoes simply to look better.

Even the participants in this research were amazed by one result of the study. Orthopedic surgeons first did a tracing of their feet in the standing position without shoes. Then they traced the outline of their shoe. It was obvious that the shoes were 1.2 centimeters too short (one-half an inch) and the majority wearing a B width needed either a C or D width.

Some men are not much smarter than women. Those who wear high-heeled Texas cowboy boots and slim Gucci loafers also press their toes together like sardines.

I don't expect readers to toss away all their shoes. But it's interesting that barefoot natives in New Zealand rarely suffer from bunions. And 33 per cent of Chinese who wear shoes have bunions compared to 2 per cent who never wear shoes.

So what should doctors do when asked to perform this surgery? The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society states flatly that surgery should never be performed simply to improve the appearance of the feet. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine would say "Amen" to that precaution. His precept was, "First, do no harm".

The cost to feet of tightness is not cheap. It's estimated that the cost of the 900,000 foot operations in North America is over 3.5 billion dollars. This does not include the recent rash of cosmetic foot surgery.

At a time when millions still do not have clean water or are starving, it's small wonder that many parts of the world consider North American lifestyle unjust and a bit insane.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod