DR. JOHN A. HARDY SHARES AN ARTICLE BY TORONTO DOCTOR REGARDING COSMETIC FOOT SURGERY

 

TORONTO DOCTOR, DR. W. JONES STATES, "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 THE 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 SURGERY IN ORDER TO FIT INTO FANCY SHOES TO IMPROVE THEIR APPEARANCE (WOMEN).

DR. NANCY KADEL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORTHOPEDICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SEATLE 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 A 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 HAVE HAD COSMETIC FOOT SURGERY WHO CANNOT WEAR ANY KIND OF SHOE COMFORTABLY.

COSMETIC 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 A 'TOE JAM'.  I'VE OFTEN HEARD MEN SAY, 'WOW, LOOK AT THOSE LEGS'!  BUT IF THEY 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 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 SHOES.  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 IS INTERESTING THAT BAREFOOT NATIVES IN NEW ZEALAND RARELY SUFFER FROM BUNIONS.  AND 33 PER CENTOF CHINESE WHO WEAR SHOES HAVE BUNIONS COMPARED TO 2 PER CENT WHO NEVER WEAR SHOES.

SO WHAT SHOULD DOCTORS SAY WHEN ASKED TO PERFORM THIS SURGERY?  THE AMERICAN ORTHOPEDIC FOOT AND ANKLE SOCIETY FLATLY STATES THAT SURGERY SHOULD NEVER BE PERFORMED SIMPLY TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE FOOT.  HIPPOCRATES, THE FATHER OF MEDICINE WOULD SAY 'AMEN; TO THAT PRECAUTION.  HIS PRECEPT WAS, 'FIRST, DO NO HARM'.

THE COST OF FOOT 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."

AT ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS WE WOULD NEVER CONSIDER COSMETIC FOOT SURGERY, SUCH AN INSANE CONCEPT.  ALSO WE NEVER RECOMMEND FOOT SURGERY IF IT CAN POSSIBLE BE AVOIDED.  MEDICATIONS ARE ALSO AVOIDED AS THEY CAN ALSO HAVE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND MANY TIMES CAN BE AVOIDED.  

ONE OF THE REASONS FOR MY TORONTO FOOT CLINIC'S PHENOMENAL SUCCESS IS THAT WE ALWAYS PRACTICE CONSERVATIVE FOOT CARE.

IF YOU OR A LOVED WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE HIGH QUALITY FOOT CARE AND CUSTOM ORTHOTICS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US AT 416-465-8737.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. JOHN A. HARDY, OWNER OF ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS..

 

PROFESSIONAL FOOT CLINIC

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