ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A decades-long effort continues as a Rochester plastic surgeon and his team fly to Peru to give children new smiles.
Dr. Vito Quatela is a double board certified plastic surgeon in Rochester. He is also the founder of the HUGS “Help Us Give Smiles” Foundation.
Since 2002, Dr. Cuatella and his team have selected countries with “neighborhoods” for children born with facial deformities and traveled there to make a difference in their lives. Ta.
“In less than a week, they start seeing mistakes on the side of their head, closing their eyes, and smiling more. I think that's amazing,” Dr. Quatera says. said.
Dr. Cuaterra's team is currently headed to Cusco, Peru. He said there are about six to eight times the global incidence of this ear deformity.
“What's amazing is that I wouldn't have had the surgery otherwise. And that's kind of unthinkable in this country,” Dr. Quatella said.
He explains how he achieved this.
“Most of these kids have earlobes, which means they already have earlobes. But they don't have anything other than skin there. They make pockets and then ribs. Carve it into the shape of an ear, usually with three ribs. Connect these four parts with wire to make it look like an ear. Put it in your pocket and it will add suction. When mixed, it will create a suction force. “The force sucks the skin down to its skeleton, making it look like it's vacuum-formed plastic and has ears in there,” Dr. Quatella said.
And here's why Dr. Quaterra's team continues to do this.
“It's so rewarding to see these people's lives develop,” Dr. Quatella said. “We take in poor kids in this country and we work on that problem. And they're shunned. They're a responsibility. So, you know, they don't have to go to college or anything. We've seen kids who couldn't have done it become architects. There are kids in Guatemala who are now going to medical school with the sole purpose of doing what we do,” said Dr. Cuatella. .
That “child” is Rodrigo Rabe. He was born in Guatemala in 1999 with microtia in his left ear.
“At one point in my life, I lost confidence in myself and didn't want to go to school,” Labbe said.
A few years later, when Rodrigo came down with the flu, he went to the doctor and hoped his ear would be healed. That wasn't the case.
“In Guatemala, plastic surgery on the arms and legs is very expensive for most people,” Labe said.
Dr. Quatella came there.
Rodrigo, now 24, who had the surgery at the age of 11, says the surgery has given him back his confidence and inspired him to carry on the tradition.
“I am completing or continuing my studies to become a surgeon and help as many people as possible, just like Dr. Quatella and his team did,” said Labbe.
Rodrigo told News 8 that he and other surgeons followed Dr. Cuaterra in the operating room.
