PODIATRISTS IN THE NEWS

07/27/2010     

Cosmetic Foot Surgery Still Popular Despite APMA Warning

Some foot surgeons have been warning against cosmetic foot surgery almost as long—seemingly to little avail. "Our business is booming," says Oliver Zong, a podiatrist in New York City's financial district whose services include a "pinky tuck," slimming down little toes that become bent and bulbous when jammed into high, tight shoes. While the vast majority of patients are women, Dr. Zong says he has male clients as well. "They're embarrassed about wearing sandals because their feet don't look so good," he says.

Dr. Oliver Zong

The American Podiatric Medical Association, representing about 85% of the nation's podiatrists notes, "Our function is to relieve pain and correct deformities. We are not trained to allow women to fit into a narrower shoe," says the group's president, Kathleen Stone, a podiatrist in Glendale, AZ.

Source: Melinda Beck, Wall Street Journal [7/27/10]