Absolute Facts You Should Know About Ear Correction Surgery (Otoplasty)

Ear correction surgery is cosmetic surgery to change the size or shape of the ears. It can also be to hold them with pins if they stick out.

Pinning the ears back is called an otoplasty or pinnaplasty. It is usually carried out in children and adolescents, although adults may wish to do so as well.

An otoplasty is not really suitable for children under the age of 5, as their ears are still growing and developing.

Many people benefit from the results of an otoplasty and it is generally a safe procedure. However, it can be expensive and there are still threats to consider.

What includes?

An otoplasty for an older child or adult can be performed under regional anesthesia by a plastic surgeon or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon.

It usually includes:

• Make a small incision (cut) behind the ear to expose the ear cartilage

• Remove small pieces of cartilage if essential

• The desired shape and position

Or, a newer strategy may be offered that involves marking the cartilage through the skin of the ear with a needle. No cutting is made, but there is very little evidence of the lasting quality or safety of this technique.

An otoplasty usually takes between one and two hours. If local anesthesia is used, you can go home the same day.

Recovery

For the first few days after surgery, your ears may be sore and tender or numb. You may have a slight tingling sensation for a few weeks.

You may need to wear a bandage around your head for the first few days to protect your ears from infection. You will not be able to wash your hair during this time.

Some cosmetic surgeons recommend wearing a headband at night for several weeks to protect your ears while you sleep.

There may be some minor bruising, which can last for about 2 weeks. You may want to postpone your return to work or school until the bruises are gone.

Often times, the spots can rise to the surface of the skin or make the ear feel sensitive. Pain and soreness can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

You should avoid swimming and activities that put your ears at risk of injury, such as judo or rugby, for several weeks.

Within 5 to 10 days: The stitches are removed (unless they are soluble spots) and any plaster will most likely come off.

After a week or 2: Many children could go back to school.

After 8 weeks: Swimming should be OK.

After 12 weeks: Contact sports should be OK.

Adverse effects to anticipate

After ear correction surgical treatment, it is common to have:

• A small scar behind each ear

• Small bruises around the ears

• Pain, numbness, or tingling in the ears.

These symptoms should go away with time.

What can go wrong

Ear correction surgery can occasionally result in:

• Inflammation of the cartilage of the ear.

• A blood clot forms on the skin of the ear.

• Stiff ears: it can take several months before they become flexible again.

• The ears are no longer in proportion

• Surgical treatment has not been successful and the ears begin to protrude again.

Any type of operation also carries a small danger of:

• Excessive bleeding

• Infection where the cut was made.

• An allergy to the anesthetic.

The specialist should discuss how likely these threats and problems are and how they would be dealt with if they occurred.

What to do if you have problems

Plastic surgery can sometimes fail and the results may not be as expected.

You should contact the clinic where the operation took place as soon as possible if you have extreme pain or any unforeseen signs. The surgeon who treated you is in the best position to deal with any complications.

If you have really had an ear correction surgical treatment and you are not satisfied with the results or believe that the treatment was not performed correctly, you should address the problem with your cosmetic surgeon through the medical center or center where you were treated.