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Question:
My child’s right ear is very underdeveloped. When repairing the size of her ear, where is the tissue harvested for the otoplasty?
Answer:
I use cartilage from the opposite ear (conchal cartilage) which can be used as spare parts or nasal septal cartilage or rib cartilage can be used.
Question:
What materials do surgeons use to install tension into a patient’s neck during a necklift?
Answer:
Some surgeons do use different types of permanent barbed sutures and goretex slings to help with a necklift. I don’t use these. I remove the loose/redundant muscle and skin and I use dissolving sutures to reposition the muscle and skin layers to tighten and rejuvenate the neck. This is very effective and much safer then leaving permanent sutures and slings that can cause post operative problems such as infection and extrusion.
Question:
My glasses never seem to sit and look properly on my head. In addition to ear pinning, can vertical and horizontal ear position be changed during otoplasty?
Answer:
Yes, the ear position can be changed to improve symmetry along with pinning the ears back.
Question:
My kickboxing class is my one big stress reliever and I don’t like to miss a beat in there. After my rhinoplasty, when can I return to my kickboxing class?
Answer:
I recommend 2 weeks post op of no strenuous activity. I would recommend that you never get kicked in the nose, certainly for the first few months after surgery. I think that a stress reliever that will not result in your nose being hit or kicked makes sense.
Question:
I know there is swelling and pain after facelifts, but will I also have trouble eating and chewing and swallowing?
Answer:
Although there is some pain after a facelift, the pain is not severe. I give Tylenol #3 (Tylenol with Codeine) which is a gentle pain medication and this takes care of the pain. Many patients use just plain Tylenol instead of the Tylenol #3. I ask patients to eat soft foods for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Trouble swalloing is not a typical complaint after surgery.
Question:
I want minimal scarring after my ear surgery. How is an incisionless otoplasty performed so that it leaves no mark?
Answer:
I don’t do incisionless otoplasty. The incisions that I use are very well camouflaged in the creases behind the ears.
Question:
My furrows on my forehead cause me to look sad and angry. I am a male seeking this surgery and I am worried about looking too polished. Can a brow lift remove the angry lines without making my look too effeminate?
Answer:
Yes, there is no need to make a browlift patient look effeminate. With male patients, I don’t arch the brow as much as with a female and with upper eyelid surgery which is often done with a browlift, I don’t remove as much skin or muscle so as to not give a feminine look.
Jonathan Pontell, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Toll Free Phone: 1.610.405.6303
The Aesthetic Facial Plastic Surgery Center, Inc.
101 Chesley Dr.
Media, Pennsylvania19063
Fax: (610)565-6414
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