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6-year-old boy gets plastic surgery to end...

Posted at 8:31 AM, Oct 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-02 10:31:00-04

A little boy in Utah will probably never be called ‘elf ears’ again now that he’s had plastic surgery to pin his ears back. He’s only six years old.

Gage Berger’s parents told “Inside Edition” that they were tired of him being bullied and picked on, so they hired a plastic surgeon to fix the problem.

Tim and Kallie Berger said they were afraid the constant bullying would scar him for life, and figured putting their little boy under the knife was the best solution.

 “He just gets really down on himself and he thinks, ‘I’m not good enough,’” Kallie told the news station.

Gage’s parents say the two-hour procedure was worth it, saying some doctors agree that surgery at such a young age can help avoid lifelong emotional problems.

"It is not unusual for a child to have ear surgery at a relatively young age,” said Dr. Tracy Pfeifer, a plastic surgeon, who specializes in facial plastic surgery.

“The surgery is relatively simple and it is life-changing in a positive way for these young children.”

More than 63,000 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed on teens aged 13 to 19 in 2013 to correct physical characteristics or concerns including a misshapen nose, protruding ears or overly large breasts, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.