When is Ear Surgery right for my child?

Parents often inquire-“When should I have my child’s ears pinned back?”  Children are not uncommonly born with overly prominent ears that project away from the sides of their heads and often attract unwanted attention from school friends.  As children’s ears reach approximately 80% or more of their adult size by the age of 5 years old, it is typically felt to be safe to consider surgical correction at this time.

One of the prime motivations most parents have in considering correction of a child’s prominent ears is to hopefully avoid unkind comments from their small friends.  The seemingly harmless “Dumbo” remarks that other children blurt out can begin to take their toll on a small child’s self image and esteem.  I have rarely seen any young girl present for otoplasty who did not wear her hair style to conceal her overly prominent ears.  Little boys unfortunately do not have this option; they commonly walk in with stocking caps.

As these childhood taunts begin at a very young age, most physicians feel it is desirable to consider otoplasty around the age of 5 or 6 if the problem is of major significance.  A child’s perception of themselves or their self image begins to take shape quite early.  A good self esteem can help a child be more outgoing, assertive, and eager to participate in youth activities.  Poor self esteem can have just the opposite effect.

Prominent ears are usually the result of congenitally overly developed or misshaped ear cartilage.  At the heart of the otoplasty is the alteration and reshaping of the abnormal ear cartilage.  Most techniques involve weakening and suturing the cartilage from an inconspicuous posterior ear approach.  This technique usually easily conceals any surgical scars.  Post operatively patients often are asked to wear protective compression garment that resemble sweat bands for a period of 2-4 weeks following the surgery.

Although, corrective otoplasty is not a must for every child with prominent ears for many – it is a liberating experience.  No procedure I perform in my practice can compare with happiness  I feel when I see the smiles on the faces of these young patients when they return for follow up visits.  Please visit Dr. Burkett’s website for more information or to schedule a consultation.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm and is filed under Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.