Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) Questions and Answers

Question:

I have been told I have Cauda Equine Syndrome, and surg. has been advised.Need more info. on risks etc. thank you in advance

Answer:

Dear Beverly, After 14 years of experience I must say i am not an expert in this syndrome. I have never had any one walk in with this condition since many times it is severe. i am able to diagnose the condition but unfortunately there is not much i can tell you except any surgery pertaining to the central nervous system is serious and i am sure there are risks. good luck and i wish i could help you more.

Paul Chasan, M.D., F.A.C.S.
La Jolla, CA

Question:

I am a 40 year old man. Ten years ago, I had some hair transplants done, but they have turned out ugly: I have a very unnatural hair line, and not enough donor sites to fix the problem. I would like to find out if laser or some other surgery can help get me a "polished" bald look? Can this be done on an outpatient basis? And how should I find the doctors in my area (Central New Jersey) who may perform such a procedure? Thank you in advance!

Answer:

It is possible to reverse the unwanted hair transplants but there will be some residual scarring as a result. To discuss your options with a qualified reconstructive surgeon call the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at 1-800-635-0635.

Question:

I was diagnosed a couple of days ago with cystocele, rectocele, and prolapsed uterus. (you can actually see it protruding out of my vagina. I am 28 years old. I also have interstitial cystitis and fibromyalgia. I was told that I needed to have my bladder and rectum repaired and my uterus removed. Can you please explain what exactly will be done? Also, what is the name of the surgery?

Answer:

Assuming that you have completed child bearing, you will have a vaginal hysterectomy, anterior and posterior repair. The uterus will be removed through the vagina. The anterior and posteror walls of the vagina will be repaired to prevent the bladder and rectum from protrding into the vagia.

Question:

I'm interested in learning more about eyelift surgery. Is there anything other than surgery to get rid of bags under the eyes? What is the cost of this surgery (both upper lid and lower lid, in North Dakota)? What are the dangers?

Answer:

Not if the bags are severe. There are adjunctive laser procedures which can be done which will tighten the skin and there will be no outward incision mark. This is usually the preferred way of getting rid of bags under the eyes. I don't know the rates in ND. Most places in the world, the procedure costs about $2000. There are dangers to vision, scratching the cornea, hematoma (blood under the skin) bruising and damage to the skin. The most common problem is over-removal of skin and a sag to the lower eyelid after the procedure when it is done without laser. This is called ectropion and is difficult to correct. Go to someone who performs the procedure a lot and preferably with a laser.

Question:

Good day, At 44 years old I am a colon cancer survivor. After surgery and 7 months of cemo, I am doing very well. Now that I am well, I would like to look better. I am considering Botox for the lines on my forehead and around my eyes. Approx. what is the cost of that procedure, and is there any risk involved? fondly, Lisa

Answer:

Botox varies in price across the country. I charge $300 for injection of each paired muscle group (like the frown lines between your eyebrows) and I do not charge for re-injection if necessary, one week later if it has not been 100% effective. Different people charge different amounts. It is very safe with the biggest risk being incompetent injection and thus effect on other surrounding muscles (like those that keep the eye open). I would suggest that you visit with a plastic surgeon for your injection to minimize the risks.

Question:

I had a breast augmentation done a year ago. (300 each side, saline). The results were bad: One side dropped and passed the infra mammary line and it looked bad. My doctor agreed to do it again (He claimed it was "my body's fault..") and I had another surgery done in the left side 3 month a go. It does look better then before- but I'm definitely not satisfied. You can see clearly that the implants are located in 2 different places (One implant is much higher). Besides that, one implant (The old one) feels much harder than the other one, and I'm worried about that. I'm pretty desperate, I don't know if it's even worth fixing and I don't trust my doctor anymore. What do you suggest? Can the hardness of the implants be dangerous? Would you recommend another surgery?

Answer:

The hardness is not dangerous and yes I would recommend seeing another doctor because it is possible to repair your problem. Call the American Society or Plastic Surgery to locate a qualified surgeon iin your area. The number is 1-800-635-0635.

Question:

What is the best non-surgical way to get rid of deep stretch marks caused by rapid weight gain during pregnancy? Does plastic surgery for stretch marks work well?

Answer:

Dear Lea, If the stretch marks are red, they can be reduced with a laser. They tend to progress to white anyway and these are very poorly treated by laser, DermaPeel, dermabrasion, etc. If you have a lot of excess skin, a tummy tuck procedure can be performed to surgically remove the stretch marks. All other treatments, in my opinion, improve things, at best, 10 to 15%.

Question:

I am in my late 40's andwant to have liposuction on my double chin but have read that they use epinephrine to inject the sites with to control bleeding while they are performing the procedure. I have mitral valve prolapse and epinephrine in dental shots causes my heart to beat very fast and I have panic attacks so I have to take plain carbocaine. Can I still have liposuction or plastic surgery without the epinephrine?

Answer:

Good question. You will need to have epinephrine when you have liposuction. Epi will make your heart race. You should make sure that the plastic surgeon you are using discusses this with you. I think that the amount of epi given is so little that it should not cause a problem. You should discuss this with your anesthesiologist as well as the surgeon; Good luck

Question:

I had the LASIK surgery 8 months ago on both eyes and I am still having dryness problems in my right eye. I have been telling my doctor about this but he just told me to keep using artificial tears. I finally went to see a different doctor and he told me that there is a gap at the edge of my flap and gave me AlLrex to take for this. Now he is talking to me about wearing a contact lens. Will this ever heal up by itself? I have also been using Theratears and Bion Tears like crazy and they haven't been helping. I was told that my other option was to have my flap relifted but then I was told I will loose my 20/20 vision. Is this true?

Answer:

I'd return to your original doctor or go to see Dr. Barry Slloway in NYC.

Paul Zwiebel, MD
Littleton, CO

Question:

I have a 16 year old daughter who has 36DDD size breasts. It causes a lot self esteem problems, and is in tears every time we shop for clothes. I wanted to know how old you have to be to have breast reduction surgery and the cost.

Answer:

Breast reduction is commonly performed for virginal hypertrophy (the case with your daughter). Although some growth can be anticipated after breast reduction surgery, the huge excess can be reduced permanently with breast reduction surgery. The problem with scarring is usually a minimal price to pay for the reduction in size. Breast reductions cost from $5000 to $8000 across the country.

Question:

I had RK surgery 10 years ago. My nearsightedness seems to be returning now. Is lasik surgery an option for me?

Answer:

Yes in most cases.

Paul Zwiebel, MD
Littleton, CO

Question:

My husband has major back pain & spasms. When he was 18, he broke his back. The doctor said that if he did walk again, by age 35 he would be in a wheelchair. He is now 33 and his back pain is getting worse. Now, he is a big man (6'4" and approx. 400lbs.) We know that is part of it, but, he has been big his whole life so we know that's not the cause. Could you give us an idea if what the doc. said is true or what it might be? thank you.

Answer:

Dear Melissa, This is a very difficult question to answer without your husband being right infront of me. But I will try to help you. First of all. Breaking your back is not uncommon. But how badly he broke his back may determine if future care can help him. For example did they have to perform major surgery in that he has a lot of "hardware" inside. Did he have any fusion performed. If the answers are no then you may have some options. First of all he has to lose atleast 150 pounds. This is important to slow down the degenerative process. Just because he has been big his whole life doesn't mean as he gets older his body will handle it easily especially with this type of previous history. Have you seen a chiropractor? If there has been no fusion performed and no hardware inserted and after viewing a possible MRI to determine if there is no spinal cord compression of any nature then this should be your next step. if you have already tried chiropractic and it did not work then you may want to consider giving another chiropractor a chance. Many practice differently. If you have not seen a chiropractor and you have followed all of these steps to make sure that manipulation is ok then i would go for it. I have changed peoples lives who felt that there was no hope. This is not a guarantee that it will work. I have not examined your husband therefore I can not assure you that it will work. But give it a try. There are alot of factors. First start losing the weight. Second Consult a chiropractor as well as see what the orthopedic surgeon says. Just be aware that it is unlikely that the orthopedic surgeon is going to give you the green light. As i stated before as long as there are no contraindications to manipulation this may be your next step. good luck.

Paul Chasan, M.D., F.A.C.S.
La Jolla, CA

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