For quite some time, I wasn't sure what I was going to do about my failing health. I knew that I had a few longterm health problems, but resolving the issues felt really difficult. Fortunately, a friend of mine mentioned going to the doctor, so I began looking for medical alternatives. I began working with one doctor who suggested a course of medications and a few lifestyle changes, and I was really enthusiastic about the progress I was making. I know that making health and medical changes helped the quality of my life, and I know it could help you too. Check out this blog for more information.
3 Things A Pediatric Plastic Surgeon Is Used For
As a parent, you know that your child is susceptible to various illnesses throughout their childhood. Most of the illnesses that your child gets will be mild, like colds or a stomach bug. These things can often be treated at home. Some of the more severe sicknesses like the flu or pneumonia will require a visit to the pediatrician. However, there are also some things that not even the pediatrician can fix, like birth defects or tumors. For things like this, you need to consult with a pediatric plastic surgeon. Your family doctor will provide you with the necessary referral. This guide goes over a few things that require a plastic surgeon for your child.
Birth Defects
While in utero, your baby may develop a birth defect. It is usually discovered via routine ultrasounds. The doctor will discuss the type of defect and the treatment plan after birth. One of the most common birth defects is a cleft lip or palate. A cleft lip happens when the tissues that form the lip fails to join properly before birth. There will be a hole between the lip and the nose. A cleft palate is when the roof of the mouth doesn't join together. Each one is fixed with surgery. Most doctors recommend that the surgery takes place when the child is a few months old and not to wait over a year before it is corrected. The surgery not only fixes the physical issue, but it significantly improves breathing, speech, and even hearing for the child.
Burns
When a child is badly burned, they may require a plastic surgeon to repair the burned parts of the body. The doctor will reconstruct the burned skin and greatly reduce the amount of scarring. There are several different methods that can be used, such as lasers, dermabrasion, and surgical revision. Pediatric plastic surgeons can also utilize harvested skin grafts and special creams to fight infection in the burn wounds.
Trauma
In the event that your child has wounds inflicted through trauma like car accidents or other sources, you may need a plastic surgeon to work on them. The surgeons can work on facial fractures and lacerations and reduce the amount of scarring that may appear from sutures used to hold the wounds together. It may take several surgeries in order to restore the physical appearance to as normal as possible.
Conclusion
Pediatric plastic surgeons offer many more services than what is mentioned. There are dozens of disorders and deformities that child may suffer from. If you need to see a pediatric plastic surgeon, contact your family doctor and request a referral.