“10 fingers, 10 toes, heart sounds great, and he is breathing normally.” This statement pretty much sums up the words that a parent wants to hear when their pediatrician walks into the room shortly after the birth of their child. No matter how normal the pregnancy and delivery, all parents wait with bated breath before the pediatrician informs them of their child’s health. Fortunately, the vast majority of children are born healthy without any abnormality, but sometimes abnormalities are present, and thanks to modern technology, we can often correct them.

One such abnormality for which we have not previously had an easy solution is the abnormal shape of a child’s ears. According to a study published by Baylor University Medical Center, 15–29% of children are born with an ear deformity. Previously, the only option available to correct these cosmetic deformities was surgical correction at 5 or 6 years of age. Fortunately, we now have a non-invasive option for the correction of ear abnormalities, the EarWell Correction System produced by Becon Medical.

The EarWell System consists of plastic molds that are applied to a child’s ear to gently reshape the ear into a normal, aesthetically pleasing appearance. Dr. Steve Byrd, a Dallas-based plastic surgeon with extensive experience in surgical ear reconstruction, designed the molds and perfected the device in his Dallas office. The EarWell System was so successful, in January 2010 Becon Medical began making the molds available to pediatricians across the country. Forest Lane Pediatrics is proud to be one of the first pediatric practices in the nation to offer this procedure. Drs. Kravitz and Mitchell have been trained by Dr. Byrd on how to apply the molds, and are happy to offer the procedure at our Medical City office.

For those children with ear deformities amenable to correction with the EarWell
Correction System, results are best when the molds are applied to the ear as soon
as possible after birth, ideally within the first week and up to 2 weeks old. Each
mold stays in place with an adhesive that lasts roughly 2 weeks, and most children
will require 3 molds totaling 6 weeks of treatment so that by the time the child is 2
months old, the ear deformities should be corrected with no further molds needed.

Thanks to the EarWell System, we now have the ability to correct cosmetic ear
deformities without surgery and without children having to endure years of teasing
before a surgical correction can be achieved. Even better still is that almost all insurance
companies cover the procedure, thereby allowing families to correct their child’s ear
abnormality with minimal financial burden.

If you are interested in learning more about Becon Medical’s EarWell Correction
System, visit their website. If you would like to speak with one of our doctors about the
procedure, feel free to call our office and schedule a free consultation with Dr. Kravitz or
Dr. Mitchell.

EarWell Correction System:

• Non-surgical correction of cosmetic ear abnormalities
• Must be done in the first 2 weeks of life (ideally in the first week of life)
• Covered by most insurances
• Ear deformity corrected by 2 months of life.