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Original poster

would u have a lump removed from a baby for cosmetic reasons?

53 replies

misdee · 15/03/2005 20:52

dd3 has a skin tag on her ear. when she was born they mentioned getting an appointment with plastic surgeon to have it removed. its purely cosmetic as it seems to be harmless. would you do it?

OP posts:

CalicoPie · 16/03/2005 18:34

Hi Misdee

My dd (now nearly 3 - blimey!) was born with a skin tag on her tragus (never knew it was called that!) It was a bit smaller than a pea. Lets say sweetcorn-sized

Anyway, we decided to have it removed as I was always very self conscious as a girl and especially a teenager, and knew how I would have felt.

I asked about it at her 6 week check and she was referred to the hospital who said they wouldn't do it till she was one which was fine by me.

She had the 'op' at about 15 months, although it was only v. minor, just a day patient and she was under general anaesthetic for only 15 mins. I just saw it as a similar procedure to having a tooth out under anasthetic.

She suffered no after effects at all, just had steri strips rather than a stitch and she now has just a tiny white line.

I'm really glad we had it done, and although it's not pleasant seeing your baby go under anaesthetic I think (hope!) that dd will be glad she had it done.

HTH

singersgirl · 16/03/2005 18:55

My 6 year old DS has got what the plastic surgeon called a "classical pilomatrixoma" on his cheek, which is basically a kind of cyst/blocked sebaceous gland where the inside stuff has calcified - it just looks like a small lump on his cheek. The surgeon's advice (and the GP's) is to remove it because, in this case, it will carry on growing and at some stage will probably become infected - it's about 0.5cm but very hard. It will be a light general anaesthetic and day surgery, but I am still umming and ahhing. I guess it's slightly different as this will grow, and there is a risk of greater scarring and infection, but it is a tricky one, isn't it? In this case we will probably do it, but I am anxious.

JoolsToo · 16/03/2005 19:09

probably

aloha · 16/03/2005 19:20

I would say yes, but it's not my baby! Being teased isn't nice and if a really simple safe op can help, then it seems a good idea on the whole, when she is a little older. I can totally understand your reluctance though - esp as she is so tiny and vulnerable atm. Cute though, I bet

Blossomhill · 16/03/2005 19:22

Yes I would.

LittleRedRidingHood · 16/03/2005 19:24

Misdee - I have this problem too- DD has several dermoids - No I hadnt heard of them before either!!!!!!! She has two hidden ATM by her hair and one above her eye - I have been told she "will" have comestic surgery at 18 months - As dermoids are harmless it would be cosmetic surgery - and a general anesthetic as well If left alone they grow however - horrible decision cos obviously i dont want her to grow up with unsightly lumps on her head but i dont want her to have an operation so young either

lunavix · 16/03/2005 19:26

I'd be terrified of a baby going under anaesthetic, but I'd do it yes. Especially as she's a she - girls can be so cruel, and yet so vulnerable to bullying.

sacha3taylor · 16/03/2005 19:32

My dd has a large clump of blood vessels on her eyebrow, It was squashing her eye and therefor she needed glasses. She had to have 2 steroid injections into the lump to shrink it as her eyesight was deteriorating quite rapidly. This has worked amazingly and now, although you can still see the lump it is about half the size that it used to be!!!!!! At the moment i wouldn't let her have an opperation to have it removed completely as it would be a major opperation and a blood transfusion, BUT I don't think I could let any child have an opperation that wasn't really neccesary. If when she got older and it botherd her I would be more than happy to let her go ahead! I don't know if this helps as my dd's is a different problem but we have been through a similar dilema.

sacha3taylor · 16/03/2005 19:34

The bullying thing did worry me but most of her friends have not even noticed it

Original poster

misdee · 16/03/2005 22:25

i know how much being teased aned bullied destrpyed my confidence as a kid, and i want to protect dd3 from that. i have enough worry about dd1+2 with their eczema and how they are percieved by other children, and as dd3 is at increased risk of eczema anyway, if a small op can reduce the possibilty of her being bullied i think its somethign i have to consider. she is very cute, and am sure that she'll be as confident as her older sisters.

OP posts:

rickman · 16/03/2005 22:29

Message withdrawn

Original poster

misdee · 16/03/2005 22:30

is it more or less noticable as he has got bigger?

OP posts:

rickman · 16/03/2005 22:34

Message withdrawn

Original poster

misdee · 16/03/2005 22:35

thats what worries me. and girls can be so nasty.

OP posts:

rickman · 16/03/2005 22:56

Message withdrawn

Magscat · 13/04/2005 14:44

Singersgirl - if you are still watching this thread, have you had the cyst removed? My 3 mnth old baby has similar. GP not yet advised surgery or mentioned risk of infection but cyst has grown to malteser size and still growing (it's on her forhead near eyebrow - very noticeable). Would love tohear how you are going on with similar problem.

triceratops · 13/04/2005 15:35

ds has a birthmark on his chin. It is about the size of a golfball and bright red. He is 3 and a half at the moment. We could have it removed but it would be a major op as it is blood vessels. So far none of his friends has mentioned it apart from asking on first sight if it hurts. Have to stop them sticking plasters on it . I wouldn't have a general for a child so small, why not wait until she is older and see if she can have a local as it would be safer?

sacha3taylor · 13/04/2005 15:41

Magscat - Is it possible that the lump could affect her eyesight, even at such a young age she can be tested at the hospital.

Magscat · 13/04/2005 15:43

Re. Small children under general anasthetic. Don't know if it helps reassure anyone but my 3 year old son had to have a splinter removed under general recently. Seemed ridiculous but splinter was lodged under nail & finger got quite badly infected. Splinter had to come out and there was no way he would let anyone touch it, much less sit still for it to be removed under local. All was fine though. He thought whole thing was big adventure. Far more traumatic for me & his Dad than for him! They put him out via a vein in his foot which was numbed first using an anaesthetic cream so he didn't even notice the needle going in. He recovered within the hour and was playing/eating a couple of hours after that. He still talks about the smiley faces & beans he had for lunch in hospital! The worst thing turned out to be all the hanging around waiting to be discharged from hospital. I know it's not the same as the op some of you are considering, but in terms of the anasthetic it was ok. Still don't want to do it for my baby though & understand anyone's fears.

Bozza · 13/04/2005 15:49

DS has had 3 ops. The first one when he was 2 days short of 1 was probably least traumatic for him/me in terms of his recovery. ie at that age just plug him into a bottle of milk and all is well. But his other ops at 2.3 and 3.6 he was quite confused when he was coming round and throwing himself around which was horrible. Also last time he was most aware when going down to theatre. This might help with your consideration of the timings. In all cases he was fine by the next day. Think he had forgotten a lot of what happened while he was coming round - although did winge for a few days about a crawling baby who had committed the cardinal crime of grabbing one of his toy cars in the recovery room.

sacha3taylor · 13/04/2005 15:49

My dd was 18 mths under generall anasthetic to have the steroid injections - as you say harder for us than her!

Magscat · 13/04/2005 19:39

sacsha3t - GP didn't mention anything about her eyesight being effected. At the moment the lump doesn't stick out below the eyebrow so it's not in her line of sight. If I knew it was going to stay as is, I would leave it. It's the idea it might get bigger or 'mutate' that worries me plus the thought that it might be harder for her to face when she is older and has more idea of what's going on. Am seeing the GP about it in 2 wks so will see what she advises. Don't even know yet if removing it would be simple op with a needle or if it would leave a big scar.

Original poster

misdee · 13/04/2005 19:57

didnt realise this had been resuurected. atm am still undecided on dd3 lump. she has had ahearing check and thats come back ok, but am still waiting for appointment for kidney and bladder scan. once those are out the way i think i will need to come to a decision soon.

OP posts:

popsycal · 13/04/2005 20:21

considering similar thing for ds1...similar problem to your dd3 misdee thugh doesnt soung as noticeable
torn about what to dp

Original poster

misdee · 13/04/2005 20:31

have seen the pic of your son pops. let me what you decide. do u think it would be easier when they are younger?

OP posts:

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