Many children are born with defects to the ears and this is one of the main reasons for ear reconstruction surgery.
It is used to make the ears look better and more normal.
It should only be conducted by trained specialists that have experience with this procedure.
Children often have this done by pediatric surgeons.
There are many reasons why this procedure might be needed.
Birth defects are the number one reason, but accidents can also cause problems to these areas.
A person may only need this done to one ear, but it is also possible that both will need work.
After this is done, a person's ears will generally look very normal.
If a child is born with this type of problem, there is a good chance that as he or she grows, these parts will protrude.
This can be very embarrassing, and other kids are likely to tease this child.
This can hurt a child's self-image and esteem, and that is why many parents will consult a plastic surgeon.
For a child, the doctor may recommend waiting until he or she is at least four years old.
This is usually around the age when the ears have fully developed.
At this point, the doctor will be able to look at them to see if he or she can help.
If they decide that ear reconstruction surgery is the best option, they will talk to the child's parents about it.
In order for this to be conducted, the child must be given general anesthesia.
This will be administered by a trained anesthesiologist and it will cause the child to sleep through the entire procedure.
The child might be released a few hours after it is complete, or the doctor might recommend that the child spend a night in the hospital.
There are times when general anesthesia is not necessary, but this is only when the procedure is very minor.
The child can expect to experience some pain after having ear reconstruction surgery, and he or she might have to keep this area dry for a period of time.
The doctor will check it after a few weeks to make sure that it is healing properly.
The other main reason this is done is when a person incurs injuries to their ears from some type of accident.
This could happen at work or through a car accident.
If a person is left with deformities like this, there is help available.
By talking to a trained plastic surgeon, you can learn how this could benefit you or your child.