Michael J. Will, MD, DDS, FACS
Maryland (301) 874-1707
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Ear Surgery Patient Featured on Good Morning America
Ear surgery, or otoplasty, a procedure that corrects overly prominent ears, is often done on young patients, and Good Morning America recently followed seven-year-old Samantha Shaw as she underwent the surgery.
The first grader told Good Morning America that she didn’t like people asking about her ears, and her mother was concerned her ears would make her daughter self-conscious and shy.
They decided to get her ear surgery, which can be done in young children because their ears are about 90 percent the size of an adult’s, unlike the nose or chin, according to her surgeon, Dr. Steven Pearlman.
During the surgery, a small incision is made behind the ear and then the cartilage and skin is removed and remodeled. Sutures are placed to close the incisions and hold the ears in place. On children, the procedure is usually done under general anesthesia. The resulting scar is inconspicuous, and recovery from ear surgery takes about two weeks.
Samantha traveled from her home in South Dakota to New York City to undergo the surgery. After the procedure, she said it looks and feels “good.”
Her mom saw the ear pinning as more than a cosmetic procedure; she said it was a preventive way to keep Samantha from getting bullied about her appearance. According to her mom, before the surgery, Samantha’s protruding ears made her the target of hurtful questions by both children and adults.
“I don’t want her to be teased and bullied and then have her lash out and treat people the way she’s being treated,” Samantha’s mom said.
Part II — The Many Forms of Facial Rejuvenation: Exploring Minimally Invasive Treatment Options
In our previous blog post, we explored the benefits of surgical facial rejuvenation. While highly effective, we, at Will Surgical Arts, understand that for many of our patients, a surgical procedure may be more than they have in mind. Fortunately, we are pleased to offer a number of non-surgical and minimally invasive procedures to freshen your appearance—helping you to look, and feel younger.
Study Examines Nasal Deviation and Quality of Life
While many patients undergo rhinoplasty to change the shape of their nose for purely cosmetic reasons, others may choose nose surgery to help relieve nasal obstructions or after a facial injury.
Nasal obstructions are a result of nasal deviation, which is when the nasal septum is not in the midline of the nose. The deviation of the septum may be present at birth (congenital) or be a result of injury. In addition to causing impairment in nasal function, it can also affect the person’s quality of life.
A new study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal looked at health-related quality of life, as well as self-esteem and depression in patients with nasal deviation and found depression was more common among those with nasal deviation.
The study had 66 participants: 32 patients with congenital nasal deviation (mean age of 27.5 years) and 28 without nasal deviation (median age, 29.5 years) as a control group. The patients’ quality of life was measured by several questionnaires, which evaluated characteristics such as general health, social functioning, mental health and self-esteem.
The results showed there were significant differences between the groups in physical functioning and general health. In addition, depression was detected in 34 percent of nasal deviation patients, compared with just 7 percent (2 people) of the control group.
The researchers concluded that nasal deviation is a scope of rhinoplasty that the surgeon should be aware of, as this group has significantly worse quality of life and is more prone to depression.
Part I — The Many Forms of Facial Rejuvenation: Exploring Facelifts
From fine lines and wrinkles to loose and crepe-like skin, it is inevitable that over time, our facial appearance changes. As even the slightest facial aging can add years to an individual’s appearance—it comes as no surprise that facial rejuvenation continues to be a patient favorite at Will Surgical Arts. Hoping to revitalize their look, men and women seek out Dr. Will’s expertise.
Along with the traditional facelift, Dr. Will can perform a number of variations that can restore a youthful appearance. Here, we explore the ever-popular full facelift and its lesser-known counterpart, the mini facelift.
Migraine Surgery Developed from Cosmetic Brow Lift
When a plastic surgeon noticed that after undergoing endoscopic brow lift surgery some migraine patients were having less headaches, he developed a migraine surgery technique. The treatment, which involves “surgical deactivation” of “trigger sites” in the muscles or nerves that produce pain, appears to have some success: after five years, 88 percent of patients had less frequent or severe migraines, according to a new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal.
In addition, the study found that 59 percent of patients reported that their headaches were significantly better and 29 percent said their migraines were eliminated completely five years after surgery.
The researchers followed 69 patients after they had migraine surgery; in order to confirm the trigger sites prior to surgery, each patient was tested with Botox in places like the forehead, temple and nose. For most patients the surgery targeted at least two trigger sites.
Other findings from the study included:
Average migraine frequency decreased from about eleven to four per month
Average migraine duration decreased from 34 to eight hours
Migraine surgery led to significant improvements in quality of life, with few serious adverse effects
An additional benefit to the migraine surgery is that patients may end up with fewer wrinkles. “For those patients, commonly the aesthetic outcome is pleasing. They just look like they’re less angry or are less serious,” said Bahman Guyuron, MD, the surgeon who developed the technique.
While more research is needed to refine the surgical techniques and to clarify the reasons for the effectiveness of surgical deactivation of trigger sites, the researchers wrote that “the findings provide strong evidence that surgical deactivation of one or more trigger sites can successfully eliminate or reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of migraine headache, and the results are enduring.”
Experts say migraine surgery is probably only a good idea for those who’ve tried less invasive treatments first.
New Device Reshapes Newborns’ Ears without Surgery
A new infant ear correction system can reshape a newborn’s ears starting in the first month of life without surgery.
Stanford University’s Children’s Hospital reports their surgeons are now using the EarWell system, which was approved by the FDA in 2010. EarWell has a custom-fit plastic molding device that babies can wear for six to eight weeks early in life to reshape their ears and permanently correct their shape. The system works because the circulating estrogen left over from pregnancy gives infants’ cartilage high flexibility.
“We see an immediate result, even within the first two weeks,” said Rohit Khosla, MD . “It’s very remarkable.”
Between one-fifth and one-third of babies have prominent or misfolded ears.
“It’s painless and non-surgical. And it allows the patient to avoid potentially many years of social stigma associated with ear deformities,” said Khosla.
According to Khosla, early intervention with EarWell is key for a successful outcome. The device has greater than 90 percent success when treatment is started within the first month of life, but it is less effective in older babies.
“We can take advantage of the patient’s biology in this specific window of infancy to correct a deformity that will otherwise be uncorrectable until the child is older,” Khosla said. “And with this technique, the cost of surgery, the pain and the recovery can all be avoided.”
Ear surgery is another option for correcting such problems as prominent ears and can be performed on patients at a fairly young age — as young as five. Also known as otoplasty, ear surgery pins back protruding ears.
New Study Says Patients Look Younger After Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty can shave a bump off of your nose and, according to a new study, a year or two off your age.
The study found that the anti-aging benefits of rhinoplasty were statistically significant, and, on average, patients looked 1.5 years younger after the procedure, according to Ali Sepehr, MD, and researchers at the University of Toronto.
During the study, 50 people guessed the ages of 53 rhinoplasty patients in before-and-after photos. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 61, and about three-quarters were women.
Patients who had a hump reduced or removed saw the greatest anti-aging effect. Among these patients, the reduction in perceived age was 1.6 years younger after surgery, compared to 1.1 years for patients who did not have a hump prior to surgery. Those with a droopy tip also saw more of the age reduction benefit.
Whether a patient was older or younger at the time of surgery was less of a factor, the researchers reported.
“Older patients tended to enjoy a greater degree of rejuvenation,” they wrote in the study. But the differences between age reduction in older vs. younger patients was not statistically significant.
While rhinoplasty may make you look slightly younger, this is not the reason people choose the procedure. Patients are usually motivated to have nose surgery in order to improve the look of their nose or to improve their breathing.
Dr. Sepehr told Reuters Health, “I wouldn’t say that in terms of the findings of this study, it adds a major reason to go forward with the procedure. It’s just a nice added benefit when somebody’s already going to get the procedure for another purpose.”
Nose surgery can reduce the size of the nose, remove bumps, improve the nasal angle and alleviate breathing problems. To learn more about nose surgery, contact Dr. Will.
“Patient care was incredible! We are so very happy our child was referred to Dr. Will. We appreciate the attentiveness given to his medical condition. Will highly recommend to others.”
While many patients undergo 
