Appearances matter to all irrespective of their age and sex. We have been using various types of cosmetic surgeries to enhance our beauty. In line with this trend is cosmetic toe shortening surgery.

This procedure involves the shortening of toes of the foot. While the procedure is meant for the less focused areas of the body,it often becomes a necessity because of medical implications.

The Procedure

Basically, this surgery reduces the actual length of the toe.This is done by a simple procedure in which doctors remove small portions of the bones from the joints of one or two toes. Once the shortening gets over, small pins are placed at the points from where the bones got removed.

This fastens the recovery of the operated toe and helps it to get set in the correct position. At the last stage of the cosmetic procedure, surgeons look for restructuring the toe skin so that it can accommodate the operated toe length.

Time Taken For The Procedure

Toe shortening procedures are not very lengthy.Under the experienced hands of a skilled surgeon,each toe shortening surgery takes around fifteen to twenty five minutes.

There are no complications attached to the surgery and patients can choose to perform it as an outpatient or inpatient. Depending upon the kind of patient, general or local anesthesia is provided.

Healing Time

In total around twelve weeks are required for complete healing.The healing process however depends on various factors like the general health of the patient, related medical conditions like a high or low blood pressure pressure, high or low blood sugar levels and finally, the category of shortening that took place.

Complications Attached With The Surgery

While the procedure in itself is rather simple and without any complications, the healing process can get a little complicated if proper care is not taken. One of the most imminent dangers are infections.

Because of the insertion of pins into the toes, the body’s natural healing process does not accept it and starts to focus its defense mechanism towards it. This weakens the resistance power of the body, thus increasing the chances of infection.

Corns, nerve injury, pain when walking are some of the other common side effects associated with cosmetic toe shortening surgery.

Is it Worth the Expense and Complications?

Longer toes affect the way we walk, run and jump as with longer toes the body’s weight gets distributed better. In some cases, pressure on the joints that impair movement can be the cause of a toe surgery.

While the percentage of people performing this kind of a surgery for medical reasons is quite low, physicians and surgeons are not very excited about the aesthetic use of the surgery. There are some very noteworthy complications that can become a matter of concern if the surgery is not accepted by the body properly.

Moreover, because this is a rare kind of cosmetic surgery, availability of skilled surgeons is quite next to zero. These problems along with the tag price accompanying cosmetic toe shortening surgery makes it less worth the output expected.

Photo Credit: cosmeticsurgerybase.com