If your child’s ears protrude a bit farther away from their head and they are self-conscious about them or they consistently get made fun of at school, then you may want to consider scheduling an otoplasty for them. As a surgery designed to help essentially pin back your child’s ears so that they sit a bit closer to their head, otoplasty is a life changing surgical treatment that will give your child permanent results. However, although the results are enough to make your child jump for joy, the very thought of undergoing surgery can be enough to give your child a bit of anxiety. From discussing the surgical procedure to understanding what recovery will be like, this article will discuss some of the ways that you can prepare your child for an otoplasty.
Discuss the Procedure
Nothing will help ease your child’s anxiety quite like answering their questions and letting them know what they can expect from their surgery. As a great tool, your child’s doctor at Associated Plastic Surgeons & Consultants can sit down with you and your child pre-surgery in order to go over what they can expect from the surgery itself— also during this time, your child can ask one of our surgical expert any questions that they may have.
An Incentive
Children love to have something to look forward to— as we all do. As a great way to get your child through their surgery, offer them some sort of incentive. For instance, have them pick out their favorite ice cream from the grocery store beforehand and let them have some when they get out of surgery. Or, take them to the toy store beforehand and let them pick out a new toy that they can play with once they are out of surgery and in recovery.
Explain Recovery
As one of the most important steps of any surgical process, recovery is key. As another way to ease your child’s anxieties, explain to your child what they can expect from the recovery process. For instance, explain to them that they will have to stay in bed for a few days afterwards and watch movies, and that they will have to wear a bandage over their head and around their ears as they heal.
Undergoing surgery is intense for anyone, especially children. help ease your child’s anxieties regarding surgery by following the tips lifted above. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact our Associated Plastic Surgeons & Consultants office today!
