Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) Questions and Answers

Question:

Hi, I'm a 17 year old single mother of a 6 month old son. During my pregnancy I developed horrible strech marks that completely cover my stomach and go in circles around my belly button. I was wondering what type of surgery would best get rid of my battle scars and an approximate price. I would love to show off my stomach in a bikini again!

Answer 1:

Dear Julie, If you have a lot of excess skin in addition to the stretch marks and plan on having no further children, a tummy tuck is still the best option. Despite the long, low scar, it is the best means of removing the stretch marks if a tummy tuck is needed for other reasons. If your skin is not loose and the muscle are still tight, successful treatment options are limited. Many have tried laser and microdermabrasion treatments with very limited success. New non-resurfacing lasers which stimulate collagen production may be useful but they have not yet been extensively tested.

Answer 2:

Dear Julie, An abdominoplasty ( cost about $5000 total) is by far the best means to take care of your problem. However, should you get pregnant again you might need to do it all over again. Best of luck Dr. Korman

Question:

I have been using restylane and botox for 6 months with good results.I am considering a facelift.Do the botox and restylane interfere with the surgery?Thank you.

Answer:

Dear Lainie, I would suggest that you consider a brow lift so that you no longer require the botox injections. These should have no interference with face or brow lift procedures. The restylane is a different story. As long as a large amount been injected for a long time, there should be little problem as long as the surgeon stays very deep to the plane where it is present in your skin. There can be problems with infection and extrusion after the procedure with areas so treated. I thought that Restylane was only available in Canada so far?? Where did you have the injections performed.

Question:

I need to find a doctor that does laser surgery for a keloid that is located on the ear. Have already tried injection, but don't want to get it cut off. Can anyone help?

Answer:

Dear Lisa, Some keloid scars are well treated with laser resurfacing and others not. I would suggest that you visit with a plastic surgeon in your area and one that is also board-certified in laser surgery and a member of the wound healing society. If you could find an individual with all three credentials, that would be the best.

Question:

Help! My mother has just gotten a consultation from a Cosmetic, Plastic/Reconstructive surgeon and at the end of his name instead of MD Or something I recognize there is a DO....Can you please tell me what this means and how I can go about searching for information on him? Thank you Cyndi

Answer:

Dear Cyndi, The DO stands for Docotr of Osteopathy which he obtained rather than an MD or Medical Doctorate degree. DO's are able to go to the same residency programs as MD's are and can, indeed, become plastic surgeons or any other medical specialist. I would suggest that you make certain that he is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or another American Board of Medical Specialties board. Failing this, you can go to the ASPS or ASAPS web sites for further information.

Question:

help!! I've had chin hair since I was little, but now it's becoming worse and worse. I heard of laser surgery to get rid of this problem, but it seems different doctors are saying different things. Please help since I would really like to get rid of this problem

Answer:

Dear Jennifer, I was on the FDA approval panel for hair removal lasers in the US and can tell you that the news is good. Third generation lasers are able to effectively and permanently remove hair and reduce its growth. Now, skin color is not even a major problem but the hair still needs to be dark - we have not lasers for removing white or blonde hair. I would suggest that you visit with a laser specialist in your area and preferably one with a long-pulsed YAG laser for hair removal. You should be very pleased with the results.

Question:

I am a male of 21, and as long as I can remember, I have had enlarged nipples. This was quite embarassing throughout my teen years, however, now that I'm at the age that I can afford to do something, I want to know what can be done about this? Do I need surgery, or is there some kind of drug that I can take to reduce this? Thank you so much for any info you can give me, hopefully this can turn my life around and make me feel better about myself. Sincerely, Jerod

Answer:

Dear Jerod, That is what plastic surgery is all about. You do not mention if your breast size is larger than normal but I take it that this is mainly a problem with nipples or nipples and areolae (the dark area around the nipples). Both can be reduced very readily with minimal scarring and I would suggest that you visit with a plastic surgeon to explore this relatively common and safe way to improve your self esteem.

Question:

I'm looking into lipusuction for my abdominal area. I've had 3 children, and while I'm back to 125 pounds, my excess skin and stretch marks are as unattractive as a huge pimple on my nose. Are there any surgeons in the Northern part of Alberta or Territories that can help me get rid of this unsightly skin?

Answer:

Dear Skinny, There are surgeons in your area although you may want to travel down to Edmonton or Calgary for those more experienced with cosmetic procedures. From your description, liposuction is not for you. You, rather, would be much better treated with a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) in order to remove the excess skin, tighten up your tummy muscles and remove the stretch marks. The down side is the scar that would be present. I would suggest a trip to central Alberta (I was born in Calgary) and consultation with a few plastic surgeons in the area before having the surgery done.

Question:

Hey there I'm a 15 year old guy and i got a nose with a deviated septum. I'm planning to get a nose job this summer vacations, but i have a concern. This doctor, who is a very experienced person and a good friend of mom, thinks that i should get the surgery after i'm 18, cuz that way there won't be any trouble with the growth of my bones. (He says that if I get the surgery before 18, i'll continue growing but my nose won't. He says that i'd have a small nose and would look bad) But I found an article in the net that claims that for guys it's ok to get a plastic surgery (nose) after 15. My mom talked to another doctor who said that it was ok to do it at this age; that there was no problem. So, i don't know.. what do you think.. Should i get it now at 15? (i'm turning into 16 this november) Thanks for your time.

Answer:

Dear Alfonso, A little depends upon your development. Have you essentially stopped growing and are now out of puberty? If you started puberty early and are now at 99% of your adult height, your nose, similarly will be about done growing. You will not end up with a small nose in either case since growth is affected little by rhinoplasty. If only your septum is being corrected, I would advise that that could be done at any time.

Question:

Hi. I am a candidate for upper and lower jaw surgery. My lower jaw sits back to far and my upper palete needs to be widened. I am a small framed women. I was wondering if you can give me an idea of what my chances are that a relapse may happen if I have these surgeries? I hear there is a good chance that a relapse will happen after having the lower jaw surgery. Would you be able to give me some more info. on the facts?

Answer:

You should discuss this with the doctor doing your surgery.

Question:

I am a 21 year old male. About a year ago I noticed a bulge in the left part of my scrotum. It is painless. I suspect it is a varicocele becuse the left side of my scrotum feels like a "bag of worms" and there is a reduction in the bulge when I am lying down. My question is does a varicocele reduce the testicile's production of testosterone? I ask this because though I am 21, I still haven't got a full beard - I don't have much facial hair, and my muscular development is also less than others of my age. I am also concerned that the varicocele may make me infertile. Should I have the varicocele examined by a urologist? Is surgery necessary?

Answer:

You absolutely must see a Urologist. What if it's not a varicocele??? After the Urologist diagnoses your "bulge", you can then discuss options with him as to whether or not a varicocele repair is warranted at this time (if it indeed is a varicocele). Dr. Roseff www.reproendo.com

Bernard Pacella, Jr., M.D.
New York, NY

Question:

Are there any types of benign breast diseases/conditions that would require breast tissue removal? If so, have people with any of those such conditions had breast implant surgery for reconstruction?

Answer:

Dear Victoria, There are a number of benign breast tumors and cysts whose removal results in smaller breasts, but usually these are localized reductions of soft tissue and generalized augmentation helps little with the contour of specific areas.

Next Step

• Learn about Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) in the Articles Section
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