A nine-year-old boy named Kieran Sorkin finally fulfilled his simple of dream of wearing sunglasses after the success of his ear reconstructive surgery. The boy, who hails from Bushey, Hertfordshire was born with bilateral microatia, which is a condition characterized by underdeveloped external ears.

In August 2014, Sorkin was first operated by pediatric consultant surgeon, Neil Bulstrode at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)  in London. He underwent a surgerical procedure that involved the removal of cartilage from his ribs so that it can be used to create a new pair of ears that can be grafted to his head. The entire operation lasted for six hours.

He underwent another operation in February 2015 and this time, his new ears were further reconstructed so that it is placed more naturally in its correct position. Two new rib cartilages were added to serve as wedges so as to move the new ears appropriately forward. Finally, the surgeons obtain a skin graft from Sorkin's scalp to cover his new set of ears.

"Awesome!" says Sorkin upon seeing himself in front of the mirror wearing his first pair of sunglasses. "Mr Bulstrode is the best surgeon as he made my wishes come true - I've got ears and can wear sunglasses."

"I'm very pleased with the shape and definition of the ears, but for me the most important thing is the way this has made Kieran feel and how pleased he and his family are," says Dr Bulstrode. "The operation has already had a huge impact on his confidence, and this could have a transformative effect on his life as he gets older." The pediatric reconstructive and plastic surgery specialist says that the operation is primarily considered cosmetic, but with the positive response that Sorkin has showed so far, more big benefits will surely apply.

Sorkin first showed interest in reconstructive surgery when he was six years old, when he saw a TV show about it. He underwent challenges in school due to the unusual appearance of his ears. The success of his operation has already lifted that as he has developed a renewed sense of self-confidence. "We know we all made the right decision with Kieran to go ahead with surgery, it's already made such a huge difference to his self-esteem and confidence," his mother says.

Photo: Complete Merchandise | Flickr