subject: Reconstructive Ear Plastic Surgery For Kids [print this page] Reconstructive ear plastic surgery may be an option for children involved in accidents or those suffering from a birth deformity. Many children are born with small or even missing ears. In other cases, accidents can leave a child with a deformity. These conditions are not harmful to the child's health, but they can be damaging to a person's self-esteem. For this reason, parents may want to seek out a specialist who can determine if there are any options for reconstruction to make the appearance a bit more normal.
Improving Hearing
One reason to consider reconstructive ear plastic surgery is to improve hearing. In some children, the inner ears develop normally. However, the exterior does not. It may fold over or may even lack an external opening. When this happens, the excess skin may obstruct hearing. By having a surgical procedure to open up this passageway, it may be possible to improve hearing loss. Additionally, those who have folded ears lose the ability of the outer portion of the ears to pull sounds into their ears. They may suffer from a reduction in the ability to hear for this reason. A surgeon may be able to construct the ear in a more normal fashion to enable sound passage.
Cosmetic Benefits
Another reason to have this procedure is to improve aesthetics. Doctors may be able to change the size, shape, or location of various components of the cartilage. In addition, they can pin back those that are too large or stick out. This does not improve any hearing function in most cases, but it can make a significant improvement in the child's appearance. Later in life, they may appreciate this.
When to Get Help
For those with children with any type of deformity like this, it is important to monitor the child's ability to hear throughout their young life. By the time that the child is five or six, or just before entering school, the surgeons will consider doing procedures to construct the area. At this age, there is enough cartilage present in many children to make changes that will last their lifetime. However, most procedures require several stages and can take several months to completely heal.
Overall, children will benefit from reconstructive ear plastic surgery if their condition is moderate to severe. To find out what options may be available, parents can bring their children to see a specialist. Look for a surgeon specializing in ear reconstructive procedures. In doing so, it may be possible to see significant improvements that you did not think were possible.
by: Abigail Aaronson
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