Prominent Ear Surgical Correction for Severe Deformity (Otoplasty)
Otoplasty is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head, or ear reshaping is a surgical procedure carried out to correct severe defects affecting the external ear.
Ear Anatomy
The ear is divided into three parts: the external ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The external ear is made of folds of skin and cartilage (firm and flexible connective tissue). It consists of the auricle or pinna, which is the visible part of the ear, and the external acoustic meatus, which is the canal extending from the opening in the external ear to the inside of the ear.
Indications for Surgery
Surgical Otoplasty is considered in children over the age of 5 years and in healthy adults for cosmetic reasons. The procedure is performed to:
- Pin back severe prominent ears
- Reduce the prominent size of the ears
- Reshape the ears following an injury such as a small ear or absence of the external ear.
Procedure
Otoplasty is usually performed under general anaesthesia for children and local anaesthesia for teenagers and adults.
Your doctor begins the procedure by making a small incision in the groove behind the ear. The cartilage and skin are removed, folded, or reshaped as needed, and the cartilage is pinned back using sutures to maintain the ear in its corrected position. In some cases, removal of cartilage may not be required, and your doctor may only use sutures to hold the cartilage in its normal position. The procedure is completed by closing the incision behind the ear with sutures.
Recovery and Post-operative Care
The surgery is expected to take approximately 2 hours. You may go home the same day or the next day following otoplasty, depending on the technique used and the extent of the correction. Your doctor will provide you with home care instructions to ensure a smooth recovery.
You may be able to resume normal activities in a week, but complete recovery may take around 8-12 weeks.
Post procedure care would include the following:
- Your doctor wraps a full head-bandage that needs to be kept intact for about a week to support the wound and help in healing.
- The sutures will be removed in 7-9 days.
- You will have to wear a headband for about 4 weeks or more after the bandages are removed, especially at night to cover and protect your ears when rolling over in bed.
- You will experience swelling, bruising and redness that may take a few weeks to subside.
- You may experience pain and discomfort, for which medication may be prescribed.
- You can wash your hair once the bandage is removed.
Are there any risks associated with this procedure?
Cosmetic surgical procedure is a formal risky surgical operation
It is Not a “simple beauty treatment”
Otoplasty is generally a standard procedure. Like any other procedure, there will be risks and complications associated with this procedure:
Common risks and complications:
Bruising, swelling, bleeding, visible scarring/keloid, pain, treatment area infection, asymmetry of the ears due to an overcorrection, loosening of sutures used to reposition the ear, and poor wound healing.
Rare risks and complications:
Distortion, deformation, muscle, cartilage, nerve injury.
Anaesthetic anaphylaxis reaction: rashes, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest.