Kids come in various shapes, sizes, colors and quantities - and so do their body parts. Their ears may be too prominent or misshapen, or perhaps completely missing. Their fingers may be too many or too few, webbed or fused. They grow assorted lumps and bumps anywhere they can. A child's self-consciousness may extend to a nose occupying more of his or her face than acceptable. And of  course, kids always seem to cut, break, burn, crush or otherwise injure themselves, usually at the most inconvenient times for their parents. All of these altered body arrangements are in the purview of plastic surgery.
Cleft Lip and Palate
Cleft lip and palate is truly a social disease; the child has problems with appearance and often with speech and hearing as well. A classic surgical timetable would have most cleft lips repaired around three to four months of age, with cleft palate repair traditionally at one year. Often, such children require placement of tubes in their ears for proper venting to avoid loss of hearing. Both speech and hearing should be followed for years, with additional interceptive surgery for both as the need arises. Subsequent orthodontics, dental arch bone grafting and correction of associated nasal deformities extend the program well into the teenage years.
Before & After Photos
Otoplasty
When a child looks out-of-the-ordinary, it gets rough in his or her social scene. Prominent ears, the most common congenital ear deformity, stand out early, just asking for ridicule. Self esteem suffers immeasurably, causing tears about ears. This  is usually brought to parents' attention, as it is often the one surgery that a child specifically asks for. Prominent ears are often caused by an excess of cartilage as well as its lack of proper definition. Surgical correction addresses both situations, reducing and reshaping with permanent internal stitches. Other congenital ear deformities with descriptive names such as Satyr ear, cryptopia (hidden ear) and lop ear can be quite complex, requiring ingenuity for correction. After surgery, the ears should be protected for six to eight months to allow good long-term healing for maintaining the new look.
Children can undergo surgical correction anytime after age 5 1/2 years. For adults who are tired of hiding their ears, corrections can even be performed under local anesthesia. Split earlobes, a very common problem from heavy or large earrings, can readily be repaired in this fashion as well.
Before & After Photos
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