Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) Questions and Answers

Question:

I wear colored contacts. I always have. If I have lasic eye surgery, can I still wear my colored contacts? Without prescription lenses, of course.

Answer:

You certainly can. Andrew Caster, MD www.castervision.com

Question:

If one breast has developed more than the other, what could that indicate? Does uneven growth of the breasts require surgery?

Answer:

Dear Ariel, Breast asymmetry can be serious depeding upon how old you are. If you are young and it is primarily a cosmetic problem, how serious it is determines whether or not you wish to get it repaired and what that might consist of. There are deformities of the breast which require special types of surgery to correct.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

I am interested in having botox injections in the lower half of my face to eliminate the frown lines on the sides of my mouth. Is this procedure successful and can you recommend a MD in my area?

Answer:

Like lots of things in cosmetic surgery, you can probably find somebody to perform what you want. Very few plastic surgeons I know will inject botox in the lower perioral area for fear of smile muscle paralysis. I won't inject around the mouth for fear of having a paralyzed smile.

Question:

I have tmj and I don't like my physical appearance because of this disorder. Is there anything that can be done to help without having a major jaw surgery?

Answer:

Have you tried wearing a veil? Seriously, your question is so vague I can't even begin to offer you an answer.

Question:

i am interested in plastic surgery on my ears. i would like them to be reconstucted to come to a point. is this done, by whom, and what is the price range?

Answer:

Dear Justa, I take it that you mean a point at the bottom of the ear ie. making an ear lobule and that you do not want to have pointed ears (we spend a great many hours in the operating room correcting this deformity in those people born with this problem). I would suggest that you visit with a plastic surgeon in your area and that group is the most well versed in ear cosmetic surgery.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

Is surgery safe to reduce fat in my upper arms? If so, how much could that cost?

Answer:

Dear Jenn, Upper arm liposuction, especially using ultrasonic-assisted liposuction is a wonderful procedure as long as your skin is in good condition to allow for a smooth and even contraction over the area after the fat is partially removed. If the skin is in large excess, a brachioplasty is a better procedure to undergo. This difference between the two is immense though in terms of recovery, risk and scarring. I would suggest that you visit with a plastic/cosmetic surgeon in your area to determine which procedure is best for you.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

Hello I have just returned from Mexico where I have had My second Rhino. done the first was about 15 years ago, this left me unhappy with my nose. now 33yo I decided to do it again along with my chin. question it has been One week since my opperation, and allthough it is hard to tell I think Im going to be happy with both. Question: Im experienceing alot of numbness on my chin and lower lip this is to be expected? and if so for how long? Thank you in

Answer:

Dear Rob, There are some excellent surgeons in Mexico and I hope that you are pleased with your surgery once the healing is complete. It is hard to know if the sensory nerves which supply your chin were injured at the time of surgery and to what extent. If the feeling does not return over the next few months, it may not do so. The mental nerves which supply sensation to the chin come out of the bone just to the side and sometimes under the larger glove shaped chin implants we all now use. Hopefully, they were just slightly injured and your sensation will return as opposed to being severely injured or cut, in which case you may end up with a numb chin or pain to the side of your chin.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

What information can you give me for breast reductive surgery due to health problems? Back Pain

Answer:

Dear Mary Jane, Breast reduction surgery is a very effective means of helping not only back pain but also bra strap furrows, intertrigo (infection of the skin under very heavy breasts) as well as occasional women with numbness and tingling in the hands and arms due to the weight of the breasts and resultant nerve problems. If your back pain is due to very heavy breasts and it is a functional problem, your insurance carrier will be able to help with the cost of the procedure. Many of my happiest patients are those who have undergone this procedure with only the drawback of scarring as the main unfortunate sequela of the surgery. Contact your local plastic surgeon for more information.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

I have a brown birthmark about the size of a half dollar on my upper leg. It's not bubbled out just darker pigmented skin. I was wondering if I could ever get it removed or am I stuck with it for the rest of my life????

Answer:

Dear Kathleen, A pigmented birthmark can be a number of different congenital lesions, but, the good news is, most can be treated with laser pigment removal. I would suggest either a Q-switched ruby or Q-switched Alexandrite laser may be the most useful in your treatment. Count on a number of treatments for complete removal with, perhaps, some lightening of the skin in the area as a trade-off for getting rid of the lesion. Visit with a laser surgeon in your area - preferably one that is board-certified in laser surgery by the American Board of Laser Surgery or one that is, at least, a member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

I am a 21-year old male college student, and I have been lifting weights for about four years. I am 6 feet tall and used to weigh about 250 pounds before I started lifting weights, so basically I was fat. Over the 4 years I have been liftng, however, I have burn a considerable amount of fat and gain muscle, but for some reason I still have fat on my chest around the nipple area from when I was fat that I can't seem to get rid of. I work out on my chest more than any other body part in an attempt to get rid of the fat, and I have a pretty good size chest, but the fat will not go away no matter what I do. This depresses me, so the only other route I know to take is either plastic surgery or liposuction. The main problems I have is that I have kiloid skin, and I believe I don't have enough money to do either since I am in college. So my main question is will plastic surgery or liposuction work? Which is better or safer especially since I have kiloid skin? What is the average cost for a specialty like mine for plastic surgery and/or liposuction? If the cost of the procedures are expensive, is there anything I can do to bring down the price?

Answer:

Dear Tavaris, The area that you describe is very amenable to ultrasonic liposuction which has essentially replaced the older excisional surgery on the area. If you are on any drugs which have helped you gain muscle mass, these can lead to the gynecomastia that you describe. The cost of liposuction varies across the country but about $2000 would be close to what you should expect to spend.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

what catagory does breast implants fall under?? also, if i get them and have a baby, can i breast feed?? will my breasts grow larger than they are after the enhancement??

Answer:

Dear Michelle, I don't understand category but the type of surgery is cosmetic or cosmetic plastic surgery. Most women with breast implants can breast feed since the ducts are not interrupted with the surgery. Your breasts will grow the same amount as they would have without implants in the event of pregnancy and, for most women, grow significantly with pregnancy.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

Question:

I was born with the bone in my nose bent to the right, and the cartilage under the tip of the nose to the left. So it is really messed up. Is this possible to fix with surgery? If so would it cost me an arm and a leg?

Answer:

Dear Joe, If this is truly a congenital defect (you were born with it) and if it affects your breathing, most insurance carriers will cover at least part of the cost of a rhinoseptoplasty which it sounds as though you need. If the procedure is purely cosmetic, just for appearance, the cost will not be covered by insurance and will likely run from $4000 to $8000 depending upon what is required. Hope this helps.

Gregory Caputy, MD, Chief Surgeon
Honolulu, HI

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