Pro bono Otoplasty

I recently lost my job and it's made it harder for me to save any money to get corrective surgery. I have been saving to have my protruding ears pinned back since I was a 18.  Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to get the surgery because my student loans are costly and good portion of my savings went into getting dental work and found that this was more important.  But I am getting frustrated with the idea of not being able to put my hair up because of my ears, it's embarrassing and I don't want people to stare at me. I constantly hide them by wearing my hair down.  For once, I'd like to be one of those women I see at the gym with their hair in a ponytail. Can anyone help with pro bono otoplasty?

[Michael B Wolfeld, MD]

I understand your concerns and the situation you are in.  Many plastic surgery residency programs have a resident's clinic where the procedure is performed by a resident with a senior plastic surgeon present and supervising the operation.  This option is usually much less expensive and may be a reasonable choice for you.  You could call your local hospitals and ask if they have a plastic surgery clinic available.