Ideal Age for Otoplasty Surgery in Maryland

There’s an ideal time for all things; and when it comes to an ear surgery procedure (otoplasty), the ideal time to perform it, is at as young age as possible. The underlying reason is that a young child with overly protruding ears or the so-called bat ears may be subjected to extreme teasing and bullying. Such young children may later grow up and have his ears surgically operated on, but the emotional scar he has accumulated from childhood may be too much to erase. Hence, most plastic surgeons would recommend ear surgery procedures to be performed during childhood. But, the child should not be too young to undergo otoplasty. The ideal age range to start considering ear surgery is between 6-8 years old or during such age when the ears have undergone complete development. Dr. Jennifer Parker Porter performs otoplasty surgery procedures for different cosmetic concerns that relate to ear shape, size or position. Aside from bat ears and protuberant ears, she can also surgically fix “lop ear” (the tips of the ears fold down and forward) and “shell ear” (parts of the outer rim are missing). Her primary ear surgery goal is to achieve a natural-looking facial balance with respect to the child’s ears. For children, Dr. Porter generally performs otoplasty procedures using general anesthesia so they can sleep through the operation. Depending on the complexity of the problem, a typical otoplasty takes about two to three hours to perform. After surgery, the patient is normally required to wear a head dressing for at least one week and can return to school at that time. The child should be extra careful to not engage in any activity where the ears may be bent until they are completely healed. Schedule a consultation now with Dr. Porter by calling us at (301) 652-8191 or by submitting this Email Contact Form. The post Ideal Age for Otoplasty Surgery in Maryland appeared first on Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgery.