Question:
My 8-year-old son is constantly teased because of his large ears. He wants to have surgery but I feel he is too young, is still growing and may regret having surgery in the future. What can I say to him to deter him from wanting this?
Answer:
Obviously, a decision to have surgery on a child’s ears should be a well informed decision and something that both the parents and the child wish to proceed forward with. In our experience, children at the age of 5 or older are good candidates for the surgery. This is the age when they begin to experience some degree of teasing at school and become more aware of their body image. At the same time the ears themselves have grown to close to their final adult size and therefore the surgery can be done safely and effectively at this age.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.