One unfortunate reality is that children can be cruel to each other. For example, if a child is in need of an otoplasty, others will often tease that child. Consider a recent article for People titled “Utah Girl Bullied About Large Ears Gets Free Surgery From Big-Hearted Surgeon Who Was Also Teased as a Kid.”
Cathy Free of People writes, “At a time when every teenager at her junior high school just wanted to fit in, Isabelle Stark always felt that she stuck out. She tried wearing beanies, growing her hair long and strategically adding extra curls, but there was no hiding her protruding ears. ‘Kids called me ‘Dumbo,’ or said that I looked like a mouse,’ recalls the Park City, Utah, girl, now 18. They’d even walk up to me and pull on my ears. I tried to brush it off, but almost every day, I went home and cried. For my entire life, my only wish was to have normal-sized ears.’ Now, thanks to Steven Mobley – a Salt Lake City plastic surgeon who was teased about his own large ears growing up – Isabelle doesn’t feel self-conscious any longer. On June 19, Mobley pinned Isabelle’s ears back at no cost through his Mobley Foundation, a charity started in 2008 that provides otoplasty surgery (ear-pinning) to low-income school-aged children who are victims of bullying… When the headband and bandages were removed, ‘I was so thrilled that I cried,’ Isabelle tells PEOPLE. ‘It was the biggest day of my life. I can’t say thank you enough. My ears are so natural now and have a perfect curve. I no longer feel that I have to hide them.’”
If your child is in need of an otoplasty, you need a surgeon you can trust. Rex E. Moulton-Barrett, M.D. is internationally known and acknowledged. He is board certified with The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Otoplasty is one among many procedures provided by Dr. Moulton-Barrett’s office.
When it comes to otoplasty, Dr. Moulton-Barrett provides procedures for ears that stick out and to correct the oversized conchal bowl.
During recovery, a gentle pressure dressing is placed on the head to provide slight pressure on the ears and maintain their new position as well as to minimize swelling and excessive fluid accumulation beneath the skin. We will remove this dressing in 5-7 days. All of the incisions are closed with stitches that dissolve and don’t have to be removed. As soon as your head dressing is removed, patients can wash their hair. You will need to wear a comfortable cloth band or hat to train the ears to remain close to the side of the head ideally for 6 weeks or a minimum of 10 days.
If you’re considering a an otoplasty, contact us for a consultation.