PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER
Brittanee
Diagnosed with prominent ears,
corrected with otoplasty

When the teasing got too painful, Brittanee’s parents knew something had to be done. Their daughter was a bright and pretty little girl, except that her ears were extremely prominent.

“We could tell there was something wrong with her ears by age 2,” said Brittanee’s mother, Debbie. By age 5, Brittanee tried to cover her ears at all times. She refused to wear her hair up or in a ponytail, and she bruised her ears frequently during play.

In first grade, the name-calling began. Brittanee was labeled “Dumbo” at school. Her parents tried to enlist the teacher’s aid by asking her to quell the taunting, but it didn’t stop.

As they watched their little girl’s self-esteem wane, her parents thought Brittanee could be helped by counseling with a child psychologist. The experience led Debbie to investigate treatment options for Brittanee’s ears, and she was referred by an ear specialist to Dr. Samuel Stal at Texas Children’s Plastic Surgery Center.

Dr. Stal measured Brittanee’s ears and the angle of their protrusion. After the evaluation, he determined that her condition was a true deformity and recommended otoplasty. The family decided it was the right thing to do.

Brittanee had her outpatient surgery before starting third grade, and her recovery was uncomplicated, taking about six weeks. She could not bump her ears during that time and slept on a special pillow. Now 10 years old and in fifth grade, Brittanee loves the freedom her surgery provides. She wears her hair up and shows off her newly pierced ears. The hurtful teasing of previous years is a distant memory.

“There is almost no sign of the surgery, except behind her ears,” Debbie said. “We do see a major change in Brittanee’s confidence level, and we have Dr. Stal to thank.”