As a parent, nothing is more painful than seeing your child suffer. If you have a child with protruding ears, you know the hurt that can come when children tease. Otoplasty can help. This surgery corrects the shape, size and protrusion of the ears. Call us today and ask about otoplasty.
What Is Otoplasty?
The term “otoplasty” might sound complicated, but the definition is actually quite simple: otoplasty is ear surgery. The actual procedure itself is highly customized to the needs of the patient. It can pin back ears that stick out, resize ears that are too large or reshape ears. Dr. Waldorf is highly experienced in performing this surgery and will work with you to create your ideal ear.
I’m Interested in Otoplasty for My Child. What Do I Need to Know?
Otoplasty can be performed on both adults and children. If your ears bother you, come on in. If your child has misshapen ears, sooner may be better than later for otoplasty. Other children can be cruel and correcting aesthetic ear problems can help a child to feel more confident.
Generally, Dr. Waldorf recommends waiting until the child is about 5 years old (the surgery is often performed right before kindergarten) because this gives the cartilage in the ear sufficient time to develop. Dr. Waldorf can give you a better idea of the results your child can expect after surgery during the consultation process.
What Is Recovery Like?
Many parents worry about putting their child through a surgery. These feelings are to be expected and Dr. Waldorf can answer any questions you or your child may have about the surgical process and recovery. In general, the patient will need to wear a head dressing for about a week. The ears need to protected for about six weeks after surgery. Recovery requires about a week of downtime.
During recovery, you’ll need to avoid sleeping or lying on the ears. Propping the head up can help with this. Dr. Waldorf can also prescribe painkillers (chosen based on the child’s age) to increase comfort during healing.
Does your child have misshapen ears? Call us today and schedule a consultation with Dr. Waldorf. Otoplasty can help your child to avoid painful teasing over their ears and to obtain a natural-looking ear shape and size.