Reconstructive Surgery Results

Often, children with facial birth defects come to us with a myriad of challenges related to their condition, such as trouble breathing, speaking, hearing, eating, drinking, and sleeping. Their daily lives are impacted by their condition, so to have reconstructive surgery can completely alter their lives forever. To live a life pain-free when chronic pain is all they know, or to hear correctly for the first time, is miraculous. But, you might be surprised to find out that reconstructive surgery does not equate to perfection. Most of our families and followers are! Let’s talk about what you can expect when it comes to reconstructive surgery results.

The 3 Things You Need to Know About Reconstructive Surgery Results

• Physical perfection is not our end goal. In fact, it’s not even a goal at all. Our priority is a child’s health and wellbeing. A treatment plan that involves reconstructive surgery is designed on a case-to-case basis to include the least amount of intervention and risk possible for the greatest benefits possible. For example, Dylan with Goldenhar Syndrome struggled with jaw issues and microtia (a small ear). He underwent reconstructive surgery when he was younger, not with the Little Baby Face Foundation, in which his rib cartilage was removed to create the structure of an ear. His microtic ear is still smaller than the other. Having gone through double jaw surgery with the Little Baby Face Foundation, the last thing we would want to do is put Dylan through another unnecessary reconstructive surgery, with all the stress and recovery time that comes along with it. He can hear, and the difference in ear size is not flagrant. What Dr. Romo chose to do instead is push the larger ear back and bring the microtic ear forward, a far simpler procedure with minimal recovery time that will downplay the difference in proportions between his ears. This was enough to ensure that the difference in ear size did not negatively impact Dylan’s confidence, which we’re pleased to say has skyrocketed since his treatments at the Little Baby Face Foundation. His treatment is the perfect example of how we search for solutions with low risk and recovery, with the biggest impact. That’s our goal, always.
  
  

  
  

• Reconstructive surgery is not a one-time, cure-all solution. Many times, unfortunately, reconstructive surgery is only one part of a child’s treatment journey. Sometimes, multiple surgeries are required, or laser treatments are required following a reconstructive surgery. A good example of this would be Gracie, who has had many treatments at the Little Baby Face Foundation for her ulcerated hemangioma and anotia (her outer ears fell off due to the ulceration). She came to us unable to open her mouth enough to fit a small spoon or toothbrush. Her first surgery was to untether her mouth, as this was not only an extreme challenge to her daily, but it was also dangerous should she ever require intubation. She has had several laser treatments since to help reduce the hemangioma, and she will eventually undergo what is called an island flap surgery to build her lower lip. She will also require an auricular reconstruction surgery to treat her anotia, but she is still too young for that. What a perfect segue to the next surprising fact about realistic reconstructive surgery results.
  
  

  
  

• Reconstructive surgery cannot always be performed immediately upon diagnosis. Due to a child’s development, it is essential to consider the timing of his or her surgery. This is the case for many children with microtia, for example, because currently the most effective reconstructive surgery is to remove rib cartilage in order to create the structure of an ear. (In the future, this may change with the developing science of 3D printing, which is very exciting!) A child too small in size, like Achilles, does not have enough surface area on their ribs to safely remove enough cartilage to reconstruct an ear because the remaining gap can leave vital organs unprotected. If we wait until they reach the right size, however, the amount of cartilage removed is less significant in the protection of their heart and lungs. This was the case for Masyn, for example, who had a transformative auricular reconstruction surgery to address his microtia once he reached the ideal size, based on his weight and head circumference.

We want to raise awareness around what reconstruction really looks like before and after because these common misconceptions can sometimes lead to disappointment. We shouldn’t be aiming for physical perfection, because nobody, even those born without facial birth defects, is perfect. None of our faces are completely symmetrical. Reconstructive surgery does change a child’s physical appearance, but never for aesthetics. The goal is for the appearance of the birth defect to be reduced in a way that improves or eliminates their physical symptoms and allows them to grow in health and confidence. That, to us, is perfect.