Patient Stories > Kayla Stafford

Young children play hard. So when Kayla Stafford suffered a scratch on her right ear at age 7, it didn’t seem medically urgent.  But as Kayla got older, the scratch didn’t seem to heal.  Instead a keloid, or an irregular-shaped scar that rises above the skin, developed at the site of the scratch.

While the keloid was small at first, it began to grow.  Over the next nine years, the keloid grew to the size of a small lemon, causing Kayla’s ear to droop unnaturally.  It also made it difficult for her to wear her glasses and was a source of embarrassment at school and in public.

At age 16, Kayla was referred to St. Christopher’s.  Because of the size of her keloid, St. Christopher’s physicians recommended that it be surgically removed.  Under normal circumstances, most keloids require a simple excision and closure.

However, Kayla’s ear cartilage was distorted.  St. Christopher’s surgeons decided to perform reconstructive surgery on the outer part of her ear.  The surgery reshaped and repositioned the ear, in addition to removing the keloid.

Today, Kayla is thrilled with the results and has gladly thrown away the scarves she used to wear to hide her ear.