Why would a toddler or adolescent want cosmetic surgery?

You might not affiliate the phrase “cosmetic surgery” with kids, however pediatric plastic surgeons play a important position in caring for youngsters and adolescents with a variety of situations.

Among the extra minor situations we deal with embrace ear malformations/deformities, pores and skin tags, moles, “lumps” and “bumps” and head form anomalies. The most typical purpose we see children is for concern about their head form; whereas the “Again to Sleep” marketing campaign has diminished the incidence of sudden toddler loss of life syndrome, it has led to a dramatic enhance within the frequency of irregular head shapes.

Different quite common situations we deal with are congenital hand or foot anomalies — usually having an additional finger or toe or having a number of digits related to one another.

Q: What variations in an ear may require a pediatric plastic surgeon?

A: Ear anomalies cowl a large spectrum, from being outstanding on the gentle finish to fully absent on the extreme finish. The therapy is dependent upon the situation — outstanding ears may be molded in infancy or surgically handled (otoplasty or ‘ear pinning’) at an older age, whereas an absent ear could require extra concerned surgical procedure utilizing cartilage.

Q: What are among the extra advanced situations that require a pediatric plastic surgeon?

A: These embrace craniosynostosis, during which the bones of the cranium fuse prematurely, cleft lip and palate, breast anomalies and jaw issues (‘malocclusion’).

Q: What may be performed for a malocclusion “unhealthy chunk?”

A: The jaws may be moved surgically to be in a greater place. There are three frequent causes a affected person could also be a candidate for jaw surgical procedure:

Developmental: The higher and decrease jaws develop in such a means that they do not meet correctly or simply aren’t in the precise place. This may result in issue chewing, ache within the jaw joint and/or muscle tissue, unfavorable look and sleep apnea.

Malocclusion brought on by a medical syndrome or trauma: The most typical syndrome related to irregular jaw development is cleft lip and palate. Many sufferers with clefts finally require jaw surgical procedure. Accidents to the jaw may also heal in poor place or disrupt future development.

Respiration points: This may happen in sufferers of any age however is commonest in infants or adults. In infants, respiratory points that will require jaw surgical procedure are sometimes brought on by the decrease jaw being underdeveloped. In adults, weight achieve is commonly concerned, particularly if the affected person has a comparatively small jaw. Comfortable tissue can crowd the throat, narrowing the airway and finally trigger obstructive sleep apnea. This may be handled by pulling the jaws ahead, which takes the tender tissue of the throat with it, opening the airway. That is additionally often a cosmetically favorable change.

Whatever the complexity of a affected person’s situation, our skilled multidisciplinary staff is supplied to supply compassionate, customized care utilizing progressive therapy choices.

• Youngsters’s well being is a unbroken sequence. Dr. John Smetana is a pediatric plastic surgeon training at Advocate Youngsters’s Hospital. Go to advocatechildrenshospital.com/providers/plastic-surgery for extra data.