Difference Between Corrective Foot Surgery and Cosmetic Foot Surgery

Difference Between Corrective Foot Surgery and Cosmetic Foot Surgery

The feet play an integral role in how we move around and perceive our appearance. When they get injured or deformed, it can be hard to walk and stand because of the pain and discomfort. At other times, a foot deformity might not cause physical pain or discomfort but psychological discomfort.

A podiatrist can provide treatment options to help meet an individual's needs and desires in both instances. Although they can recommend non-surgical remedies as a start, they may also recommend surgery to address the issue effectively.

Depending on the patient's needs, they might recommend corrective foot surgery or cosmetic foot surgery.

Corrective Foot Surgery

Corrective foot surgery treats a structural defect in the foot that is causing discomfort, pain, or impeding the ability to walk and stand.

For example, a person with plantar fasciitis might experience excruciating heel pain when walking or standing. In such a case, plantar fasciitis surgery is considered a corrective foot surgery because it corrects the plantar fasciitis.

Other corrective surgeries include bunion surgery, hammertoe surgery, bone spur surgery, and Achilles tendon surgery.

Corrective foot surgeries include those that treat the foot after an accident or restructure the foot due to a congenital disability.

Cosmetic Foot Surgery

Cosmetic foot surgery is a set of procedures that change the foot's appearance to conform to an individual's desires.

Hammertoe, long or short toes, and crooked toes are examples of foot conditions that might make the feet appear unsightly in an individual's eyes. Although they might not cause any physical pain in most cases, they can cause psychological pain in the form of embarrassment.

Cosmetic foot surgery corrects such 'deformities' so the foot can look better in the eyes of the individual and boost their confidence.

For example, toe lengthening surgery or toe shortening surgery can give the feet a more symmetrical look, and hammertoe surgery and crooked toe surgery can give them a more streamlined appearance.

Corrective-Cosmetic Foot Surgery

Sometimes, after evaluating an individual's feet, the podiatrist might recommend a set of corrective and cosmetic procedures.

Bunion surgery is a notable example. If the bunion is advanced and causing pain, bunion surgery can alleviate the pain and return the foot and toes to a more streamlined position, improving the foot's appearance.

In other cases, an individual might go in for plantar fasciitis surgery and request toe shortening surgery at the same time. In such instances, getting corrective-cosmetic surgery can be a fast and convenient way to hit two birds with one stone.

Corrective Foot Surgery vs. Cosmetic Foot Surgery

Corrective surgery and cosmetic surgery play a significant role in helping address different people's needs. In a sense, none is more important than the other.

For someone in physical pain, corrective foot surgery is a welcome relief. At the same time, someone who is constantly embarrassed by the appearance of their feet might get equal relief from cosmetic surgery.

The only significant difference between the two is the cost because, in most cases, insurance does not cover all types of cosmetic foot surgery.