Doctors at CHOP use new kind of reconstructive surgery to give girl a new ear — and change her life
By Stephanie Stahl
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A new kind of reconstructive surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has changed a little girl’s life.
When Lilliana Parrales was born with facial differences, her family worried about bullying.
The 5-year-old has hemifacial microsomia, which causes part of the face not to develop, and she was born without an ear. Her parents decided she should have surgery to create a new one, so she wouldn’t be teased or feel self-conscious.
“We all just wanted her to feel complete and whole and not feel any different,” Lilliana’s mom Angelina Parrales said.
The family from the Poconos turned to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Jordan Swanson said Lilliana’s condition is relatively common. Lilliana hears from her other ear, so the goal of the operation was to create an artificial external ear.
Instead of the traditional surgery using cartilage from the ribs, Swanson is now working with a medical-grade plastic framework.
“It has little pores through it that actually the body’s tissue can grow into,” Swanson said.
During the six-hour operation in April, tissue from the skull and skin grafts were used with the plastic frame to create Lillianna’s new ear.
“The doctors fixed my ear,” Lilliana said.
Now the ear is completely healed.
“She is so happy that she has two of everything now,” Angelina Parrales said. “She feels so complete now.”
She was even able to get her ears pierced.
“I’m so excited for the life that she has ahead,” Swanson said.
The Parrales family is filled with gratitude for CHOP.
In a couple of years, Lilliana will be back at the hospital for jaw surgery, but for now, she’s focused on fun. Doctors said that the next surgery will involve some reconstruction on one side of Lilliana’s face to make it more even.
“This girl has exceeded everything we could have imagined,” Angelina Parrales said.
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