“My five year old son’s ears really stick out and I’m worried he’ll get bullied. Should he have an operation to get them pinned back?”
As a parent you are bound to want the best for your child but it’s important to remember that you may be projecting your concern unnecessarily. The first thing I would suggest is to listen to what your child wants. Establish their feelings in all this. They may not be bothered by their ears in which case there is probably no need for a cosmetic corrective procedure. Or at least, right now.
The risks around childhood surgery are higher so, ideally, procedures should be stalled until adolescence, unless they are pushing for this constantly. When children are four to six years in age, the role of the anaesthetist becomes almost more important than the surgeon, due to the potential risks involved. If very young children are about to undergo surgery, parents need to be comfortable where the surgery is being done and whether there are paediatricians on site, for support.
It is also sensible to assess whether your expectations for the outcome of a surgical procedure is realistic. There are always very real risks and downsides to surgery, both in terms of the initial recovery and the final aesthetic outcome.
If you do decide to progress with corrective surgery, you must be very careful which surgeon you choose. As well as assessing their qualifications, it is a good idea to meet with the surgeon – you need to feel very comfortable that they will be operating on your child. It really is a jungle out there and it is hard to know who to trust. As a surgeon with children myself, I have been very lucky in that I have a network of colleagues who I know I can trust and who can look after my family. For the general public who don’t have this luxury some useful things to look out for are:
– The surgeon must be registered with the General Medical Council and on their specialist register of plastic surgeons.
– The surgeon must be qualified for paediatric surgery specifically.
– The surgeon must have passed child safeguarding checks.
– If the surgeon practices, or has practiced in the NHS, this is not always a guarantee of quality, but generally these surgeons are under (or have been under) a greater level of scrutiny.
– Don’t forget to seek recommendations and advice from your local GP.
– Personal recommendations are important. Speak to the parents of previous patients.
ABOUT DAVID GATELEY
Consultant Plastic Surgeon David Gateley (MA FRCS FRCS (Plast) of DRG Plastic Surgery in Harley Street is one of the UK’s leading plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeons, having practiced for 32 years including as a consultant plastic at St George’s Hospital. For further information please visit: https://www.drg-plasticsurgery.co.uk