Franklin Ear Surgery doctors
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Kevin Robertson, MD
Madison Facial Plastic Surgeon
3205 Glacier Ridge Road, Middleton |
2 answers | |
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Andrew Campbell, MD
Milwaukee Facial Plastic Surgeon
1411 North Taylor Drive, Sheboygan |
1 answer |
Recent Answers
my ten year old child's ears stick out, and i was just wondering if otoplasty can be performed on her at his age?
Many children with prominent ears have an otoplasty around age 5-6 due to fact that it is at that age when they become more social and their peers may start to make fun of them. It is safe to perform an otoplasty as young as 5 years old, and in fact, there have been studies to show that it appears safe to perform as young as age 2.
I personally like to wait until age 5 or older.
Andrew C. Campbell, M.D.
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
I just lost my job, so I have no insurance and can't afford surgery. My ear got massively infected, and after messing with it too much over the years it has become what I thought was a keloid. After research, I'm guessing it is a hyperthropic scar. People seem to have success (though a lot of pain) by tying a string around it until it turns black and falls off. What are the dangers/risks? Would this work? I'm depressed to the point I cry everyday and ALWAYS hide my ear... I want it gone.
A scar that grows beyond it's initial borders is classic for keloid, as is the location you note on your picture. So first of all, this is a keloid. Second, choking that area off progressively is a mistake, and will only lead to poor cosmetic results and recurrence. There is no easy fix here that you can do on your own. So either accept the fact that it will require a cosmetic fee and prepare, or wait. But keep in mind the surgeon will likely suggest steroid injections as part of your post removal planning, and these are very important. You must keep the follow up appointments. The best surgery in the world can be lost if follow up is not performed.
If my scar is still visible after six months can I get the steroid injections? Or do I have to do it as soon as possible? Can I use silicone sheets now? And how long should I use it for, for best results?
Yes, you can and should consider steroids at this point for prominent scarring. The window of time that they are effective is surprisingly large, so take advantage of them at this point if the scars truly are elevated. If they are just red, then vascular lasers or IPL's can be used to bring them down a few notches for redness, and may choke off some of the vascularity that drives hypertrophic scars.
Silicone sheeting is an effective way to provide moisture to an incision, and has been shown to be of value to reduce scarring. A new product is available called Invicible, which contains a number of additional components that also help to reduce scarring. You can google it to find the closest source. Sheets would be impossible to use in that site.