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What Is The Footlift?
The Footlift was developed in 2015 by a Dr Suturin and Tiff Beaman specifically to address the all-too-common problem of fat pad atrophy under the feet. We’ve named it the Footlift because that’s exactly what it does – lifts and cushions your sore feet to provide relief.
Different types of injectable dermal fillers have been used in facial cosmetic medicine as an anti-ageing therapy for over 100 years. More recently, the problem of pedal fat pad atrophy has become an increasing area of interest within the international medical community and more research is being done into potential treatment options.
We’ve simply put these two ideas together and expanded upon it further to create a therapy that addresses a common functional problem, without the need to compromise on lifestyle.
The Footlift can be used by everybody - from weightlifters and sportspeople to the elderly or by those of us who just can’t give up their heels.
FAQ For Patients.
Help, the balls of my feet hurt! What can a Footlift do for me?
Help is at hand (or at foot).
The Footlift involves the use of a dermal filler to replace lost volume and pad bony prominences under the feet. The initial treatment requires a ‘booster’ filler done at the one month review, after that, results typically lasts 12-18 months. After that, the treatment is repeated every 12 months to maintain the newly-restored cushioning – similar to dermal filler injectables used to volumise the face.
I hate needles! Does the procedure hurt?
As a rule, no. We use a local anaesthetic to numb the nerves in your feet before proceeding with the treatment. It’s a simple matter to anaesthetise the area and it’s of the utmost importance to us that our patients are comfortable throughout the procedure.
Any post-procedure discomfort is usually a result of tenderness from the injection sites. This generally only lasts a day or two and can be treated by rest and over the counter analgesia, such as paracetamol.
How long does my appointment take?
Allow 60 minutes for your initial appointment. We will give you a detailed information sheet one you book in for the procedure, with clear pre and post treatment instructions.
We recommend, purely for safety reasons, that you have someone to drive you home. This is particularly important as the ball of the foot is the area you will be applying pressure to if you drive – exactly the area we want you to rest and offload.
During your appointment, we conduct a comprehensive medical and podiatric assessment, as other causes of metatarsalgia need to be ruled out before proceeding. We may order diagnostic imaging if we think it is necessary.
Once it is determined that you are a good candidate for a Footlift procedure, we anaesthetize your feet to minimize any discomfort. We run through your post-treatment instructions and ensure you understand and are comfortable with everything before proceeding. We will also book a follow up appointment to check on your progress.
We are excited to be the first people in Australia to offer this procedure so it is important to us that everything runs smoothly and our patients get outstanding results.
Is there any recovery time?
The local anaesthetic may cause some residual pins and needles and loss of sensation for several hours after the procedure. We suggest you rest with your feet up until the next day, to allow any injection site tenderness as well as the anaesthetic time to properly subside.
Aside from some mild tenderness after the local anaesthetic wears off, our patients have so far experienced no significant discomfort and report not needing any down time. Relief from painful feet generally starts to occur the next day and continues to improve as the filler settles in.
How long does it last?
After the initial booster at your one month review, we tell our patients to expect an average time of 12 months, similar to fillers used in the face. However, after several treatments, many people find the Footlift continues to be effective well beyond this time frame - it all just depends on how quickly your body absorbs and removes the filler.
As with facial fillers, best effects are seen in patients who keep up with the treatment plan we put in place.
I love the extra cushioning! Is there a permanent option?
Yes! We are now recommending that many of our patients have fat transfer and PRP (platelet-rich plasma), to permanently restore thinning fat pads. Most of our clients prefer to start with the semi-permanent option - although there are many cases where we would recommend the permanent option. It all just depends on what we think will work best for your feet.
The permanent Footlift option is a more extensive fat transfer or grafting procedure, where fat is taken from elsewhere in the body (usually the stomach) and transferred under the foot to directly replace lost natural fat padding and recreate the biological cushioning present in a healthy foot. In this case, it is necessary to offload the treated area for 3 weeks while the graft settles in. We provide you with an offloading orthotic to wear and instructions about walking on your heels until your follow up appointment.
The advantage to this approach is that it is permanent, if all due care is taken during the recovery. No further treatments should be necessary as we have restored the original fat padding the way nature intended, making walking more comfortable and improving your overall physical and mental well-being.
How much does it cost?
Dermal Fillers: We charge $2990 at our clinics in Melbourne, a portion of which can be claimed on private insurance if you have podiatry cover. Cost of the ‘booster’ injection at the 6-12 month mark ranges from $690-$990, depending on the amount of filler required.
Unfortunately, we can’t give you an exact estimate of the total cost as it depends on how well your feet have responded to the initial treatment.
Fat Transfer: Cost is $7900 inclusive of all dressings, orthotics and equipment.
There are no hidden or extra costs associated with this procedure.
Please let us know if you require a sick certificate for work, particularly for the permanent Footlift procedure, where you are required to offload the treatment area for up to 3 weeks.
Our combined expertise means that we are able to ensure you are given the best care available, tailored to the individual needs of your feet!