OTOPLASTY OR AURICULOPLASTY
EAR SURGERY
Otoplasty or ear surgery is a procedure designed to reduce the size of large ears or make them sit closer to the head. Clearly protruding ears can be teased by children and shy by adults. Otoplasty will not change the location of your ears or affect your ability to hear. It can be done at any age after the ears have reached their full size.
Reasons for surgery
– Your ears stick out too much from your head.
– Your ears are large in proportion to your head.
– You don’t like the shape of your ears.
– Your ears are very different from each other, they are asymmetrical.
How do we do it?
Marking is done on the skin of the ears. The anesthesiologist administers medication to keep you sedated, and then the local anesthetic is injected. In some situations, general anesthesia may be performed. After the incision is made at the back of the ears, excess cartilage and skin will be removed. The cartilage is then shaped into the correct position and fixed with internal sutures. Additional sutures are used to close the incisions which are removed in 7 days. The procedure takes about two hours. Your ears will be bandaged to protect them. Otoplasty is an outpatient surgery.
FACIAL
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
The intervention can be performed in a sanatorium or in an ambulatory surgical center. Otoplasty is normally an outpatient procedure. That means you won’t need to spend the night in a sanitarium.
There will be a small scar behind the ear after surgery, but it will fade over time.
Hearing is not lost.
After 5 years the ears have already fully developed. Although it is done at an older age, many feel that if it is done when the patient is younger, it will help preserve the child’s self-esteem since children with more prominent ears are often teased by their peers.
A bandage will be placed around your head to aid healing and to prevent any disturbance from outside agents. After a few days they will be replaced with a much lighter bandage, similar to a headband. You will need to wear this bandage at night for about four weeks after surgery.
Since otoplasty is an elective procedure, it is usually not covered by health insurance companies.
Otoplasty poses several risks, including:
Scarring: Although scarring is permanent, it is likely that it is hidden behind the ears or within the creases of the ears.
Asymmetry: It must be considered that the ears are similar, but they are not the same. Perfect symmetry does not exist.
Changes in the sensation of the skin. During otoplasty, repositioning of the ears can temporarily affect the sensation of the skin in the area. In rare cases, the changes are permanent.
Problems with stitches: The sutures that are used to secure the new shape of the ear can cause inflammation of the affected skin. As a result, you may need additional surgery.
Like any other type of major surgery, otoplasty presents a risk of bleeding, infection.
After four weeks you can start light exercise and can resume contact sports. However, each patient’s recovery period is unique and depends on her own circumstances.