Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) Questions and Answers

Question:

A few years ago I had corrective surgery on my lower jaw. My chin was moved back slightly too. The result has been that I have a little pouch of "fat" under the chin, that does not seem to go away even with weight loss. I am very unhappy with this double chin look. Would liposuction help to get rid of this? What is the approximate cost of liposuction under the chin? Thank you.

Answer 1:

It is very common for the type of surgery you had to result in an excess under the chin. Liposuction may help, or you may need some skin and/or muscle tightening, too. Fees yary. Your Plastic Surgeon will answer that after you consultation. David M. Metzner, M.D. 504.885.9555 985.892.4675 866.298.5249 toll free

Answer 2:

Dear Sarah, Liposuction would help in this area if there is only fat in excess and if your skin is elastic enough to retract after liposuction. It may be that some of the skin needs to be tightened as well. The best option would be to see a plastic surgeon and find out which is the best option for you.

Question:

Help! On August 15th, 2001, I was thrown from a sea-doo at about 60 miles an hour. As I was thrown off, my left ankle hit the side of the sea-doo resulting in immediate pain and swelling. I was able to walk on it. I went for x-rays and much to my surprise and pleasure, I had not broken or fractured anything. The doctor gave me Naproxen to reduce the inflammation which I took for about 2 weeks. It has been 3 months and the bruising has not gone away. Although the pain has subsided, I continue have pain, stiffness and soreness in my ankle, mostly at the end of the day. I have not been able to wear any kind of shoe with a heel since the injury. I even notice when I take a warm bubble bath, my ankle swells and the bruising becomes more significant. Any idea of what this means? I just went back to the doctor for more x-rays and I'm not sure what to think as they were very surprised to still see bruising. Will I have to get my ankle casted? I'm not sure what to think - can you give me any ideas? Thank you in advance for your time.

Answer:

It certainly sounds like you have a problem. What type of doctor looked at your ankle x-ray. It might be that there was a very small fracture and it was just missed. I personally had a fracture years ago in my wrist that went undetected for weeks before I learned to read the films myself. If you are not able to walk normally or wear shoes with a heel, I'll seek a 2nd opinion. The continued discoloration of your ankle could be nothing or it might indicate a problem that continues. My advice would be to see an orthopedist that specializes in ankles (not easy to find). In some states podiatrists are allowed to do surgery and therefore have much more training that most people are aware. Keep me informed please.

Question:

For about 2 months, I've been treated for acute sinusitis. Prescribed predisone 3 times, 3 different antibiotics, nasal spay, decongestant, antihistamine. The latest is xanax, so I can sleep and mellow after the pseudophedrine(SP?). Also had an MRI of the brain and parasinuscavity--brain unremarkable, sinus-chronic sinusitis. Since I live in the midwest, don't I need an antibiotic loongr term without interruption? Now my ears are hurting.

Answer:

NO. BUT now IS the time to move on to a Board Certified Allergist to look at two things: 1) is there some underlying allergy?, and 2) is sinus surgery needed?

Paul Nassif, MD
Beverly Hills, CA

Question:

I'm a large breast woman. A few months ago I started doing another job at work that requires me to do alot of lifting. Now my shoulders and back are starting to bother me alot. At first when I felt the pain I would just take some Advil and it would go away, but lately the pain is getting unbearable. Could it mean that I may need to have my breast reduced?

Answer:

Dear Demetria, It may be that your heavy breasts are contributing to your pain. It may also be that the work is not being done in an efficient manner. I would suggest that you visit with your manager and see if there are any aids to your lifting which may be of help to you (like a weight belt, shoulder harness, etc.). It would be a shame to go throught the breast reduction surgery only to still have the problem.

Question:

I WOULD LIKE TO FOUND A DOCTOR IN MY AREA THAT DOES HAIR IMPLANT I LOSS MY HAIR ABOUT 3 YRS. AGO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE INFORMATION ON THE SURGERY, SO I KNOW WHAT SHOULD I DO

Answer:

Dear Helen, If you still have some hair left, hair transplantation can be performed. I would suggest that you visit with a large company that specializes in such procedures such as the Bosley group. They have a web site and, likely, a physician near you who can tell you if they can be of help with your problem.

Question:

I have Hidradentis Suppurativa. I also have Diabetes. My family doctor is recommending surgery. I'm having a hard time finding out any information about Hidradentis. Could you please give me some information about this condition and the pro and con of surgery. THe surgery would be the nodes in my groins. Thank you for any help you can give me.

Answer:

Here is an archived Q&A that should give you some good info from Dr. Taub. Question: Oct 08, 2001 My father in law has been diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa and has had 20 surgeries to help out with his pain. It has reached a point where the pain has become unbearable for him. He has lost a lot of weight and the condition is spreading. Do you have a name of a doctor who can help him? Is there anything that we can do to get him to feel a liitle better? We are desperate... Answer: I am so sorry to hear that your father-in-law is in such terrible discomfort. I did a literature search and found that there are really two main treatments for hidradenitis. One you might consider is oral isotretinoin, brand name Accutane, which is usually used for severe acne but has been shown to be successful in suppressing (not curing) the symptoms of some cases of hidradenitis. The most widely accepted treatment, however, appears to be radical surgery, that is wide excision of the entire skin surface in the affected area. With 20 surgeries behind him, it doesn't sound like this option is going to be one that gives him much hope. The authors that were associated with these papers about surgical procedures included Drs. Ratz and Finley at the Department of Dermatology at the Ochsner Clinic and Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans, LA and Drs. Brown, Rosen and Orengo, from the departments of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine and Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston Texas. Perhaps contacting one of these doctors for consultation on your father-in-law's case would prove fruitful. In addition, please have him checked carefully as squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, can develop in long-standing open wounds. If he has hidradentis in the groin, he also may need to be evaluated by a gastroenterologist as this has been associated with rectal cancer. Good luck! Amy Taub M.D. Hope this helps you. Good Luck. Julie Adinolfe RN

Question:

What are the parameters that are necessary for a doctor to perform a lingual frenectomy? I'm 40 and have been married for 21 years. My sexual expression is becoming increasingly important to my relationship and my frenum is greatly inhibiting this expression. Is a frenectomy something that I can just go in and ask for? I'm a little uncomfortable talking about this with a doctor for fear that I'll get a negative reaction or complete rejection. My medical plan would not cover this, as it is not a necessity, so I'll have to pay for it. What are the general costs of this surgery? Any help on this would be much appreciated. Thanks, Derek

Answer 1:

If it bothers you, that should be enough reason to do a frenectomy. It is not a difficult surgery, and costs are normally less than $250.00.

Answer 2:

I agree with Dr. McNamara. If the surgeon wont do it, which I highly doubt, find one that will. Usually when the tongue cant get past the lower teeth or lip, that is justification enough in my opinion.

Question:

I work as a firefighter how a IOL can affect me. while Iam performing my duties

Answer:

An IOL (intraocular lens implant) is used to resolve cataracts or, in rare cases, to correct vision for someone whose myopia or hyperopia is so extreme as to preclude them from having a LASIK procedure. We have performed over 10,000 IOL procedures for both cataract and refractive corrections. However LASIK can correct nearly any prescription today- up to -16.00 diopters of myopia (nearsightedness), +5.00 diopters of hyperopia(farsightedness), and 5.00 diopters of astigmatism; therefore IOL's for vision correction are seldom used. This procedure involves removing the natural lens of the eye, and replacing it with an artificial lens. If you have a cataract, the alternative is to do nothing...in which case the cataract will certainly worsen until vision is lost. Surgery is pretty much a necessity for cataract patients. Removing the natural lens also removes the ability to change focus from distance to near vision, and the patient would require glasses for all close, and possibly midrange tasks. For this reason we do not recommend implants as refractive devices (to eliminate glasses) on those who are under 40. People who are much over 40 will already suffer loss of close vision that comes naturally with age (presbyopia) and would require reading glasses anyway. LASIK is generally considered the better option for surgical vision correction (in non-cataract patients) when it is possible, as IOL surgery is much more invasive, somewhat more risky, and a great deal more costly. If you have been advised to have lens implants for refractive correction, I strongly urge you to get a second opinion to insure that this is your only option. If you are in Washington, I invite you to come for a free evaluation, we will be happy to clarify what your options are. As far as the effect on your work, the IOL may cause some reflections, especially at night. a few people experience this and find it annoying, most do not notice it. Because the IOL is inside the eye, you will not see or feel it, nor should it affect your ability to do any task with the exception of close work for which you would need reading glasses.

Question:

Is there any product that you recomend to use to prep the face before having it lazered? Also, following the surgery?

Answer:

Dear Janet, Your physician should review this with you. I use a combination of a bleaching cream (containing hydroquinone) and Retin-A for two to three weeks prior to facial resurfacing and then, after a new top layer of skin has grown back, I use the bleaching cream again for as long as the skin is red. I use a special Silon face mask for the first 3 to 5 days after resurfacing to help the healing and essentially make the procedure painless.

Question:

Hello, Is it possible to have a cataract return to the same eye that 2 years ago had cataract and artificial lens replacement surgery? This eye has very rapidly(within the last 6 months ) become cloudy again. Thank You

Answer:

Sometimes, the membrane behind the artificial lens can become cloudy, causing blurry vision. This can be easily treated witha laser. Andrew Caster, MD

Robert Joseph, MD
Danville, KY

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